Tag: Scarcity

It started like a joke. When fuel scarcity resurfaced in the FCT, it was first noticed in some parts of the city but in no time, it spread everywhere, leaving residents with long faces.

Within a day or two many filling stations resorted to selling in trickles, while major distributors restricted their business to night hours when they are sure to make more money from black market vendors.

First, everyone was confused as to the appropriate time to get the commodity at any filling station.

Black marketers took over Abuja with containers, which according to findings, majorly contain diluted PMS.

The situation was worse in the rural areas where filling stations are located.

In Kuje, when Abuja Review visited, the situation was tense. Out of five filling stations located in the area, only the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) sold, with long queues.

Findings also revealed that most filling stations especially in Kuje are not checked by the regulatory authority.

Motorists on the fuel queue had a raw deal because sometimes, after the attendants had sold to a few people, the station would announce that they had run out of fuel.

Many motorists without fuel in their car had to leave their vehicles at the station waiting and hoping to buy the next day.

Residents called on the Federal Government to tackle the scarcity which has caused serious hardship to all.

Some of them, who were lamenting outside Oando filling station where operators of the station refused to sell to motorists, explained that most petrol stations have refused to sell fuel to motorists because of the fear of prolonged fuel scarcity.

Mr. John Ona, one of the residents who spoke with Abuja Review, said he has been looking for fuel for the past two days without any headway, adding that any fuel station he visited from Kuje to town, the operators refused to sell fuel.

His words: “The truth is that nobody knows what is causing this scarcity in Abuja; almost all the filling stations have stopped selling fuel, without any genuine reason. If you ask the operators, they will tell you that they do not have fuel and even when you see filling station selling fuel, you will queue for hours before you buy the product.

“The situation is getting out of hands; people are suffering in the FCT because of some greedy petrol operators who are hoarding the fuel for no reason. The federal government should do something about it, because, it is spoiling the good report of ‘no fuel scarcity’ during this administration.”

Another resident, Mrs. Agnes Shekwo, said that the scarcity is seriously affecting the lives of the people, because, apart from using the product for vehicles, it is not available for residents to use to power the generator for businesses when there is power failure.

“We need fuel to power our generators for us to effectively do our businesses. But since the scarcity of petroleum product, I have not been able to get fuel to put on my generator, and we hardly have electricity light in my area.

“Last week, all the meat I kept in my freezer to prepare food in my restaurant got spoilt, because of power outage and no fuel to use in my generator. The federal government should call whoever is involved in the fuel scarcity to order. Because, the whole thing is getting out of hands,” she appealed.

Abba Attahiru said: “We do not know what is causing the fuel scarcity but we just woke up one morning and started experiencing it. Nobody is giving us a true story of what is behind the scarcity. All the same as Nigerians we have been trying to cope. Suffering and smiling as usual. For me I think it is connected to the political problems we are having in the country because with the trend of things that is happening now, insecurity, suspension of CBN governor, among other and you know a lot of bodies have been showing their grievances. I think we have putting our efforts into making Nigeria a better place as in we the populace. Government should look at the suffering of the masses. Because we made them to be where they are today, they should try to resolve the crisis of fuel scarcity.”

Mr. Patrick Odeh also lamented saying: “We were thinking that this type of thing will not surface again in Nigeria having experience free flow of fuel for the past two years. We just believe that it is artificial and then it will be dealt with appropriately. Government should do the needful. We have no reason suffering fuel scarcity in this country with all the refineries that are in place. I leave in Kuje.”

Authorities of the filling stations visited refused to speak with Abuja Review on the matter.

At the black market as at the time of filing this report, 10 liters was sold for N2,000 while two liters was sold for N400.

Most people buy it due to the fact that they must go to work to look for their daily bread.

Mrs. Lamid Adeniyi said: “We do not know where we are going in this Nigeria. Our leaders should help us, we are really suffering. Everything is politics.”

A petroleum marketer who pleaded anonymity told Abuja Review what could be responsible for the scarcity.

The source who owns a filling station in Port Harcourt said: “The issue of the scarcity is artificial because refineries are work. There are repairs going on. It is not peculiar to the north. Everywhere has it own problem because of short supply. There will not be increase in pump price of petroleum product. You can see that people are now making sharp business and the marketers are now using the opportunity to make statements that there may be increase in pump price. And when you hear that, you will want to stock the product to last you for some time.”