By: Salako Tijani and Uzorigwe Gloria.
The price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) has continued to be on skyrocketing edge despite the claims of the government that the commodity is in excess at the stock for Nigerians use, the scarcity of the commodities is getting worse as Nigerians continues to wail.
With no sight of unending the fuel scarcity, Nigerians and her micro businesses are now wailing due the hardship that the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) scarcity has brought across the country as businesses and household that depends on the commodity for power supply groan in darkness.
Micro business owner, Motorists, among other casual businesses across the country are now lamenting over the hard moment of accessing the petroleum products as the effect of the scarcity is skyrocketing other commodities range.
Meanwhile, the federal government said that there is excess of PMS commodity in stock, but the lingering scarcity of the fuel is still persisting as the electricity is on high epileptic across the country.
Standard Times Newspaper observed that the problem of fuel scarcity is virtually same across major cities in the country, the situation is getting more terrific even than the new naira currency, standard times newspaper observed.
In Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, according to a resident of the city said, the commodity is on the high side, Standard Times, learnt that a liter of fuel in the black market is N700 – N800 per litre as against the N280 – N340.
Inspite of the high price, the resident added that the commodity is still scarce, as many business outlets using the commodity to sustain their service has seen closed down, while many filling stations also in the town are currently on lock due to lack of fuel.
In a similar vein in Kwara, Standard Times Correspondent reports that a litre of petrol is sold at about N400 in some filling stations, with thousands of hundreds on queue at stations where the commodity is being sold at rates below N200
In Minna, Niger State, Standard Times Correspondent reports that the fuel scarcity is worsening every day, the marketers appeared to have held a meeting, “you can never see two petrol stations selling the commodity to the motorist at the same time. This has thereby contributed to a large crowd anytime petrol is being dispensed at any part of the city” a resident told our Correspondent.
The residents further ascertained that “major marketers like Mobil, Total, Bavos among few others sells at controlled prize between N275 and N285 with thousands of crowd while the Black Marketers were at libertyto sell at about N350 and N400 per liter meanwhile the NNPC Mega station in the city also dispensed at the control prize once there is supply for them.
In Lagos, Ogun the story is not different from others as most filling stations are lock down, motorist continues to lament over the scarcity of fuel as some filling stations with the products are filled with frustrated commercial bus drivers, keg owners and okada riders who are desperate to get the product for their daily services.
A resident of Lagos added that “the epileptic outrageous power supply has contributed grossly to the problem of the fuel scarcity, adding that, the hardship has never been this severe, it is saddened that this is happening in an election period” he stressed.
Standard Times Correspondent in Ebonyi State reports that that the High cost of fuel Pump price every day, has forced workers in Ebonyi state , trek to their places of work , as transporters have doubled their transportation charges.
keke and motorcycle riders within the Abakaliki monopolies before Keke Napep operators charged #100 but now charge ,between #300 to #350 while motorcycle fare that was #150 is now between #350 to #400)
Meanwhile a liter of fuel in the filling stations that sold for #180 is now #400 while black market price goes for #550-#600.
A reliable information gathered, disclosed that Owner of the Shade Energy filling station in Ebonyi State , who was selling at N300 per litre as against #400 per litre being sold by other marketers, received a distress call from the higherAuthority with a serious warning to revise his price in accordance with the price other filling stations in the State are selling, with unsubstantiated threat to close the filling station if he fails to abide by the order.
