his time, not even the ever reliable young black marketers could save the residents. Fuel dried up at the pumps, leaving motorists, commuters and even the enterprising fuel boys to gnash their teeth.
Transport fares rose by 50 per cent and in some cases 100 per cent because the few black marketers who had the products were selling between N200 and N300 per liter and most drivers who had no other option were patronising them, leaving commuters to pay high transport fares.
Residents who needed to get to their destinations had to grudgingly pay while others spent time quarrelling and arguing with drivers and their mates.
At the Second Gate in Kubwa, for instance, residents were stranded for long periods of time because there were no cars.
A private motorist who pulled up at a point called for passengers going to Nicon Junction and Banex. He charged N150 instead of the usual fare of N100. As he informed them of the fare, passengers protested but they only got the driver’s tongue-lashing for their remonstrations.
“Wetin you dey complain for?” a tout yelled. “You no dey see the kind of line wey dey your front for fuel, even small pikin way dem born today know say scarcity of fuel dey and no go dey argue price with driver.”
A taxi driver Elvis, who plies the Banex Junction-Apo Bridge stretch, explained that drivers were not to blamed for the hike in price.
He said: “My sister, you will not believe it, but I left home as early as 4:00 a.m. to queue for fuel and only bought it now, which is 2:00 p.m. I paid more than the usual price. So, you cannot expect me, after spending half of the day away from my business, not to recover my money and lost time.”
Aisha, an expectant mother, and also carrying a baby, ran to one vehicle that pulled up to board it but was pushed aside by other more desperate passengers.
She said she had been at the bus stop for close to two hours trying to board a vehicle to Wuse Market. It was not as if vehicles going to Wuse were scarce, but she had been stranded for that long because as the cars came, the crowd did not allow her to board, even as some passengers behaved as if they would yank off the doors of the vehicle.
“The struggle is too much, everyone is tired and in a hurry to get to their destinations. I can assure you that the men are not in any way gentlemen; women had to equally struggle. You will not believe it that a woman was almost knocked down by an oncoming vehicle because she was struggling to board a car on the other side of the road.
“No one even bothered to stop and sympathise with her after her near brush with death. They just pushed her aside as she was yelling to the driver of the other car. I have to be careful in my condition and no one is ready to sacrifice their space for me in this situation and I won’t even dream of asking. Since the scarcity began, I have to continue to struggle till I get to my destination,” she said.
The fuel scarcity hit Abuja hard. The city that was always busy with exotic and regular cars plying the roads in their numbers actually became a ghost of itself during the period of scarcity; less than half the number of cars were seen on the road while the rest were parked at different filling stations or trying to purchase from black marketers.
At the NNPC Filling Station along the Kubwa Expressway, vehicles could be seen lining up on all the lanes for a long distance. A private car owner Chris Okon, who spoke with our correspondent, was very upset about the people he referred to as a nuisance.
“There is nothing more annoying than having to join the line patiently and waiting for your turn that might never come because no one knows if they have sufficient fuel, then these people that think that they are smarter and in more of a hurry than the rest of us, pushing themselves to the front of the line or to the other gate that we are meant to drive out from. Instead of the attendants at the filling station to tell them to go and join the line, they collect money from them and allow them to drive in as if us here are not human beings.
“When we confront them, they denied it or promised not to do it again, but it is a lie because they continued to allow and encourage them which cause chaos,” he said.
The scarcity affected the social lives and night life of the city. The fuel line began to swell up in Abuja on Thursday and by Sunday; areas inside the city of Abuja such as Wuse 2 and Maitama began to feel its negative impact. Since the few people that had access to fuel had to be careful to economise it since no one knew when it was going to end. Most people lessen the level of socialisation and stayed indoors, there are no much customers in some bars and clubs and those that tried to beat the odds and hang out felt the difference.
Ifeanyi, a resident of Kubwa and ardent socialite who, according to him, usually hangs out, said the fun of hanging out in bars has greatly reduced because most people were either stuck at home or at the filling stations.
“Honestly, I can’t wait for this scarcity to be over. I actually bought my fuel from black marketers even though it was more expensive.
“Actually it is boring hanging out these days with the scarcity in place. I have visited most of my regular joints, both in town and Kubwa here, and I must honestly tell you that this fuel wahala is affecting the fun. So, I can’t wait for it to be over, so that my fun life can get back to normal,” he said.
Mr. Isaac Ugochukwu, a civil servant said he stood at the bus stop for over three hours before he could get a taxi that charged what he described as reasonable fare compared to the normal transport fare before the fuel scarcity began.
“I stood at Dutse Alhaji for over three hours waiting to get to Berger and any vehicle that comes will say Berger from Dutse First Gate is N200, which used to be N100. I could not enter the taxi cabs because I did not have enough money on me. Until one came announcing Berger N150, that was when I rushed inside.
“This fuel scarcity is not funny at all. We are really suffering, mostly people like us that depend on our meager resources to take care of ourselves and families. The government should quickly do something about this situation. Is this how they want us to come out and vote for them, when they always fail to get things right?” he said.
Another civil servant, Miss Anthonia Somadina said motorists charge N500 from Gwagwalada to town where she works, saying that things have become very challenging to her since the fuel scarcity.
“I never thought it would get to this level that transport fares would increase by 100 per cent, because of the assurance from the Federal Government that things are improving. The truth is that there is nothing improving in this country. That is why we have been praying that God should help us in this country, because, Nigerians are suffering.
“Where I am working, I do not receive up to N40, 000 which I depend on to take care of myself and my family. If this scarcity persists, only God can save us in this expensive city. It is
his time, not even the ever reliable young black marketers could save the residents. Fuel dried up at the pumps, leaving motorists, commuters and even the enterprising fuel boys to gnash their teeth.
Transport fares rose by 50 per cent and in some cases 100 per cent because the few black marketers who had the products were selling between N200 and N300 per liter and most drivers who had no other option were patronising them, leaving commuters to pay high transport fares.
Residents who needed to get to their destinations had to grudgingly pay while others spent time quarrelling and arguing with drivers and their mates.
At the Second Gate in Kubwa, for instance, residents were stranded for long periods of time because there were no cars.
A private motorist who pulled up at a point called for passengers going to Nicon Junction and Banex. He charged N150 instead of the usual fare of N100. As he informed them of the fare, passengers protested but they only got the driver’s tongue-lashing for their remonstrations.
“Wetin you dey complain for?” a tout yelled. “You no dey see the kind of line wey dey your front for fuel, even small pikin way dem born today know say scarcity of fuel dey and no go dey argue price with driver.”
A taxi driver Elvis, who plies the Banex Junction-Apo Bridge stretch, explained that drivers were not to blamed for the hike in price.
He said: “My sister, you will not believe it, but I left home as early as 4:00 a.m. to queue for fuel and only bought it now, which is 2:00 p.m. I paid more than the usual price. So, you cannot expect me, after spending half of the day away from my business, not to recover my money and lost time.”
Aisha, an expectant mother, and also carrying a baby, ran to one vehicle that pulled up to board it but was pushed aside by other more desperate passengers.
She said she had been at the bus stop for close to two hours trying to board a vehicle to Wuse Market. It was not as if vehicles going to Wuse were scarce, but she had been stranded for that long because as the cars came, the crowd did not allow her to board, even as some passengers behaved as if they would yank off the doors of the vehicle.
“The struggle is too much, everyone is tired and in a hurry to get to their destinations. I can assure you that the men are not in any way gentlemen; women had to equally struggle. You will not believe it that a woman was almost knocked down by an oncoming vehicle because she was struggling to board a car on the other side of the road.
“No one even bothered to stop and sympathise with her after her near brush with death. They just pushed her aside as she was yelling to the driver of the other car. I have to be careful in my condition and no one is ready to sacrifice their space for me in this situation and I won’t even dream of asking. Since the scarcity began, I have to continue to struggle till I get to my destination,” she said.
The fuel scarcity hit Abuja hard. The city that was always busy with exotic and regular cars plying the roads in their numbers actually became a ghost of itself during the period of scarcity; less than half the number of cars were seen on the road while the rest were parked at different filling stations or trying to purchase from black marketers.
At the NNPC Filling Station along the Kubwa Expressway, vehicles could be seen lining up on all the lanes for a long distance. A private car owner Chris Okon, who spoke with our correspondent, was very upset about the people he referred to as a nuisance.
“There is nothing more annoying than having to join the line patiently and waiting for your turn that might never come because no one knows if they have sufficient fuel, then these people that think that they are smarter and in more of a hurry than the rest of us, pushing themselves to the front of the line or to the other gate that we are meant to drive out from. Instead of the attendants at the filling station to tell them to go and join the line, they collect money from them and allow them to drive in as if us here are not human beings.
“When we confront them, they denied it or promised not to do it again, but it is a lie because they continued to allow and encourage them which cause chaos,” he said.
The scarcity affected the social lives and night life of the city. The fuel line began to swell up in Abuja on Thursday and by Sunday; areas inside the city of Abuja such as Wuse 2 and Maitama began to feel its negative impact. Since the few people that had access to fuel had to be careful to economise it since no one knew when it was going to end. Most people lessen the level of socialisation and stayed indoors, there are no much customers in some bars and clubs and those that tried to beat the odds and hang out felt the difference.
Ifeanyi, a resident of Kubwa and ardent socialite who, according to him, usually hangs out, said the fun of hanging out in bars has greatly reduced because most people were either stuck at home or at the filling stations.
“Honestly, I can’t wait for this scarcity to be over. I actually bought my fuel from black marketers even though it was more expensive.
“Actually it is boring hanging out these days with the scarcity in place. I have visited most of my regular joints, both in town and Kubwa here, and I must honestly tell you that this fuel wahala is affecting the fun. So, I can’t wait for it to be over, so that my fun life can get back to normal,” he said.
Mr. Isaac Ugochukwu, a civil servant said he stood at the bus stop for over three hours before he could get a taxi that charged what he described as reasonable fare compared to the normal transport fare before the fuel scarcity began.
“I stood at Dutse Alhaji for over three hours waiting to get to Berger and any vehicle that comes will say Berger from Dutse First Gate is N200, which used to be N100. I could not enter the taxi cabs because I did not have enough money on me. Until one came announcing Berger N150, that was when I rushed inside.
“This fuel scarcity is not funny at all. We are really suffering, mostly people like us that depend on our meager resources to take care of ourselves and families. The government should quickly do something about this situation. Is this how they want us to come out and vote for them, when they always fail to get things right?” he said.
Another civil servant, Miss Anthonia Somadina said motorists charge N500 from Gwagwalada to town where she works, saying that things have become very challenging to her since the fuel scarcity.
“I never thought it would get to this level that transport fares would increase by 100 per cent, because of the assurance from the Federal Government that things are improving. The truth is that there is nothing improving in this country. That is why we have been praying that God should help us in this country, because, Nigerians are suffering.
“Where I am working, I do not receive up to N40, 000 which I depend on to take care of myself and my family. If this scarcity persists, only God can save us in this expensive city. It is not easy at all. The government should do something about this problem we are experiencing in Nigeria,” she said.
A resident said he left his house at 6:00 a.m. to queue for fuel, but has not been able to get the product at 2pm, saying that the present development is beyond the expectation of Nigerians.
“The question most of us are asking is must we continue to suffer this kind of hardship in Nigeria. We have a government, but it is as if this country is without a government. Nigerians are suffering, there is the need for government to find permanent solution to this incessant strike in the petroleum sector,” he said.
Another motorist, Aliyu Husein at Total Filling Station at Central Area, explained that for him to be able to buy fuel, he had to sleep at the fuel station, saying that he was able to get fuel at 11:00 a.m. the following day.
Our correspondent gathered that 10 litres of fuel in the black market goes for between N3, 000 and N2, 500 which is N250 and N300 per litre, while 20 litres cost N5, 000 causing transport fares to increase on different routes in the FCT. From Federal Secretariat to Mabushi on drop for instance, which used to be N350, is now N500.
Also, from Bwari to town which used to cost N200 was increased to N250 and from Area 1 to Bwari which used to be N250, was increased to N300.
Miss Favour Chukwuma, a resident of the FCT said: “I wonder what is wrong with our Petroleum Ministry. The workers will just decide to subject Nigerians to suffering without considering anything. Imagine the kind of suffering Nigerians are going through currently and nobody is telling anybody the reason for the scarcity.”
his time, not even the ever reliable young black marketers could save the residents. Fuel dried up at the pumps, leaving motorists, commuters and even the enterprising fuel boys to gnash their teeth.
Transport fares rose by 50 per cent and in some cases 100 per cent because the few black marketers who had the products were selling between N200 and N300 per liter and most drivers who had no other option were patronising them, leaving commuters to pay high transport fares.
Residents who needed to get to their destinations had to grudgingly pay while others spent time quarrelling and arguing with drivers and their mates.
At the Second Gate in Kubwa, for instance, residents were stranded for long periods of time because there were no cars.
A private motorist who pulled up at a point called for passengers going to Nicon Junction and Banex. He charged N150 instead of the usual fare of N100. As he informed them of the fare, passengers protested but they only got the driver’s tongue-lashing for their remonstrations.
“Wetin you dey complain for?” a tout yelled. “You no dey see the kind of line wey dey your front for fuel, even small pikin way dem born today know say scarcity of fuel dey and no go dey argue price with driver.”
A taxi driver Elvis, who plies the Banex Junction-Apo Bridge stretch, explained that drivers were not to blamed for the hike in price.
He said: “My sister, you will not believe it, but I left home as early as 4:00 a.m. to queue for fuel and only bought it now, which is 2:00 p.m. I paid more than the usual price. So, you cannot expect me, after spending half of the day away from my business, not to recover my money and lost time.”
Aisha, an expectant mother, and also carrying a baby, ran to one vehicle that pulled up to board it but was pushed aside by other more desperate passengers.
She said she had been at the bus stop for close to two hours trying to board a vehicle to Wuse Market. It was not as if vehicles going to Wuse were scarce, but she had been stranded for that long because as the cars came, the crowd did not allow her to board, even as some passengers behaved as if they would yank off the doors of the vehicle.
“The struggle is too much, everyone is tired and in a hurry to get to their destinations. I can assure you that the men are not in any way gentlemen; women had to equally struggle. You will not believe it that a woman was almost knocked down by an oncoming vehicle because she was struggling to board a car on the other side of the road.
“No one even bothered to stop and sympathise with her after her near brush with death. They just pushed her aside as she was yelling to the driver of the other car. I have to be careful in my condition and no one is ready to sacrifice their space for me in this situation and I won’t even dream of asking. Since the scarcity began, I have to continue to struggle till I get to my destination,” she said.
The fuel scarcity hit Abuja hard. The city that was always busy with exotic and regular cars plying the roads in their numbers actually became a ghost of itself during the period of scarcity; less than half the number of cars were seen on the road while the rest were parked at different filling stations or trying to purchase from black marketers.
At the NNPC Filling Station along the Kubwa Expressway, vehicles could be seen lining up on all the lanes for a long distance. A private car owner Chris Okon, who spoke with our correspondent, was very upset about the people he referred to as a nuisance.
“There is nothing more annoying than having to join the line patiently and waiting for your turn that might never come because no one knows if they have sufficient fuel, then these people that think that they are smarter and in more of a hurry than the rest of us, pushing themselves to the front of the line or to the other gate that we are meant to drive out from. Instead of the attendants at the filling station to tell them to go and join the line, they collect money from them and allow them to drive in as if us here are not human beings.
“When we confront them, they denied it or promised not to do it again, but it is a lie because they continued to allow and encourage them which cause chaos,” he said.
The scarcity affected the social lives and night life of the city. The fuel line began to swell up in Abuja on Thursday and by Sunday; areas inside the city of Abuja such as Wuse 2 and Maitama began to feel its negative impact. Since the few people that had access to fuel had to be careful to economise it since no one knew when it was going to end. Most people lessen the level of socialisation and stayed indoors, there are no much customers in some bars and clubs and those that tried to beat the odds and hang out felt the difference.
Ifeanyi, a resident of Kubwa and ardent socialite who, according to him, usually hangs out, said the fun of hanging out in bars has greatly reduced because most people were either stuck at home or at the filling stations.
“Honestly, I can’t wait for this scarcity to be over. I actually bought my fuel from black marketers even though it was more expensive.
“Actually it is boring hanging out these days with the scarcity in place. I have visited most of my regular joints, both in town and Kubwa here, and I must honestly tell you that this fuel wahala is affecting the fun. So, I can’t wait for it to be over, so that my fun life can get back to normal,” he said.
Mr. Isaac Ugochukwu, a civil servant said he stood at the bus stop for over three hours before he could get a taxi that charged what he described as reasonable fare compared to the normal transport fare before the fuel scarcity began.
“I stood at Dutse Alhaji for over three hours waiting to get to Berger and any vehicle that comes will say Berger from Dutse First Gate is N200, which used to be N100. I could not enter the taxi cabs because I did not have enough money on me. Until one came announcing Berger N150, that was when I rushed inside.
“This fuel scarcity is not funny at all. We are really suffering, mostly people like us that depend on our meager resources to take care of ourselves and families. The government should quickly do something about this situation. Is this how they want us to come out and vote for them, when they always fail to get things right?” he said.
Another civil servant, Miss Anthonia Somadina said motorists charge N500 from Gwagwalada to town where she works, saying that things have become very challenging to her since the fuel scarcity.
“I never thought it would get to this level that transport fares would increase by 100 per cent, because of the assurance from the Federal Government that things are improving. The truth is that there is nothing improving in this country. That is why we have been praying that God should help us in this country, because, Nigerians are suffering.
“Where I am working, I do not receive up to N40, 000 which I depend on to take care of myself and my family. If this scarcity persists, only God can save us in this expensive city. It is not easy at all. The government should do something about this problem we are experiencing in Nigeria,” she said.
A resident said he left his house at 6:00 a.m. to queue for fuel, but has not been able to get the product at 2pm, saying that the present development is beyond the expectation of Nigerians.
“The question most of us are asking is must we continue to suffer this kind of hardship in Nigeria. We have a government, but it is as if this country is without a government. Nigerians are suffering, there is the need for government to find permanent solution to this incessant strike in the petroleum sector,” he said.
Another motorist, Aliyu Husein at Total Filling Station at Central Area, explained that for him to be able to buy fuel, he had to sleep at the fuel station, saying that he was able to get fuel at 11:00 a.m. the following day.
Our correspondent gathered that 10 litres of fuel in the black market goes for between N3, 000 and N2, 500 which is N250 and N300 per litre, while 20 litres cost N5, 000 causing transport fares to increase on different routes in the FCT. From Federal Secretariat to Mabushi on drop for instance, which used to be N350, is now N500.
Also, from Bwari to town which used to cost N200 was increased to N250 and from Area 1 to Bwari which used to be N250, was increased to N300.
Miss Favour Chukwuma, a resident of the FCT said: “I wonder what is wrong with our Petroleum Ministry. The workers will just decide to subject Nigerians to suffering without considering anything. Imagine the kind of suffering Nigerians are going through currently and nobody is telling anybody the reason for the scarcity.”
not easy at all. The government should do something about this problem we are experiencing in Nigeria,” she said.
A resident said he left his house at 6:00 a.m. to queue for fuel, but has not been able to get the product at 2pm, saying that the present development is beyond the expectation of Nigerians.
“The question most of us are asking is must we continue to suffer this kind of hardship in Nigeria. We have a government, but it is as if this country is without a government. Nigerians are suffering, there is the need for government to find permanent solution to this incessant strike in the petroleum sector,” he said.
Another motorist, Aliyu Husein at Total Filling Station at Central Area, explained that for him to be able to buy fuel, he had to sleep at the fuel station, saying that he was able to get fuel at 11:00 a.m. the following day.
Our correspondent gathered that 10 litres of fuel in the black market goes for between N3, 000 and N2, 500 which is N250 and N300 per litre, while 20 litres cost N5, 000 causing transport fares to increase on different routes in the FCT. From Federal Secretariat to Mabushi on drop for instance, which used to be N350, is now N500.
Also, from Bwari to town which used to cost N200 was increased to N250 and from Area 1 to Bwari which used to be N250, was increased to N300.
Miss Favour Chukwuma, a resident of the FCT said: “I wonder what is wrong with our Petroleum Ministry. The workers will just decide to subject Nigerians to suffering without considering anything. Imagine the kind of suffering Nigerians are going through currently and nobody is telling anybody the reason for the scarcity.”
