…Scarcity hits Ibadan, Damaturu, others
…Marketers warn against hoarding, Oyo govt calls for sanction
By Ayo Fadimu & Anu Oyeleye, Ibadan
Black marketers of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as Petrol on Monday resurfaced in major highways in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Our correspondent, who went round the Airport Road and the major highways in Abuja, observed that few petrol stations were dispensing to motorists amid long queues.
Our Correspondent reported that along the Airport road expressway, petrol stations such as NIPCO, NNPC, Conoil and Mobil had long queues, while black marketers were selling fuel a few distance from the stations.
On the Kubwa expressway, many petrol stations such as Gegu Oil, AA Rano, Shema and NNPC petrol stations had long queues with people selling fuel outside the stations.
At the Central Business District stations such as Conoil and Total also selling but with long queues.
Most of the black marketers, who refused to disclose how they sourced the product, were seen along the Kubwa Expressway and Gwarinpa Estate.
The Black marketers were selling 10 litres of petrol for between N5000 and N6000.
Similarly, the scarcity of PMS has also hit Damaturu, the capital of Yobe.
Our correspondent who visited eight filling stations in the town observed that seven of them were shut down.
The stations visited include Potiskum Road included Total, AP and Hesen Petrol Station, while the only station visited at Gashua Road was Sedan Petrol Station.
Also shut down at Gujiba Road were MB Maidoki Oil Nig. Ltd, AA Abuja and Sons Nig. Ltd and Dumburga Petroleum Ltd.
At Dumburga Petroleum Ltd, our correspondent saw a long queue of tricycles at the gate,in spite of being shut down.
One of the tricycle operators, Tijjani Bakoro, alleged that the station was hoarding fuel.
“ Sooner or later, they are coming to sell fuel for us because we know that they have fuel; so we will not leave until they come,” he alleged.
Another operator, Aminu Mohammed, said the scarcity had brought untold hardship to him and his customers.
“ Before this scarcity, I use between eight 10 litres per day at the cost of N165 per litre.
“But now we are compelled to buy fuel from black marketers at the cost of N500 or above per litre.
“As a result of this, we increased the price of drop, but commuters are refusing to pay,” he said.
Yunusa Baba-Saleh, another operator called on the state government to assist them by identifying the problem and finding a lasting solution.
The station manager was not available for interview, and when contacted on telephone, he declined comment.
However, NNPC Mega Station at Maiduguri Road was open and selling petrol at official pump price of N165 per litre, but a long queue of motorists was observed by our correspondent.
When contacted, Alhaji Kawu Hussaini, State Chairman, NUPENG, Petrol Station Workers (PSW) denied the allegations that filling stations were hoarding their products.
“I am not aware of hoarding of fuel by any station in Damaturu.
“ Nevertheless, we will go round and investigate and I want to assure you that if any marketer is found wanting, he will be sanctioned,” he said.
Hussaini, however, attributed the current fuel scarcity in the town partly to the refusal by some truck drivers to load Damaturu-bound petrol as a result of security challenges.
“Any truck loaded with petrol coming from Lagos, Port Harcourt or Kaduna to Damaturu must proceed to NNPC depot in Maiduguri for clearance before coming back to Damaturu because there is no depot here.
“ Due to the incessant attacks by insurgents on Damaturu to Maiduguri Road, many of these drivers are shying away from carrying petrol meant for Damaturu.
“The truth is that we marketers in Damaturu, do not have strong capital base like our colleagues in Potiskum, for example, who can order for fuel from wherever they want.
“ We rely on trucks that a billed for NNPC Depot, Maiduguri,” he said.
The chairman also called on the Federal Government to establish more depots in the country for availability of petroleum products
Commenting on the development, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, the President, Independent Petroleum Marketing Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) assured that the queues would disappear as its members would soon start dispensing products to motorists.
“I think Nigerians should stop panic buying; the NNPC has assured us that it will not increase the ex-depot price of PMS in March.
“Some of our members, who stopped selling for fear that they may not be able to buy product have agreed to start selling.
“I am sure that by tomorrow things will normalise because the NNPC said that there is 40 days product sufficiency in the country,’’ he said
Meanwhile, NNPC had advised motorists to stop panic buying of petrol as it has no plan to increase the ex-depot price in March.
“Contrary to speculations of imminent increase in the price of PMS in the country, the NNPC has ruled out any increment in the ex-depot price of petrol in March.
“The corporation was not contemplating any rise in the price of petrol in March in order not to jeopardise ongoing engagements with organised labour and other stakeholders on an acceptable framework that will not expose the ordinary Nigerian to any hardship,” Dr kennie Obateru, the spokesman had said.
In the meantime, Oyo State Government through the State Commissioner for Public Works and Transport, Prof. Daud Kehinde Sangodoyin has urged the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to start monitoring petroleum stations in the State and sanction marketers found hoarding the product.
Sangodoyin who made the call while featuring on a radio program on Fresh FM 105.9 in Ibadan said the scarcity of fuel that started on Sunday was artificial as there was no reason for most of the marketers not to sell to the people.
Most fuel stations in Ibadan were not selling fuel to motorists while those selling experienced long cues which also contributed to traffic gridlock in some parts of the metropolis.
“As government, we are doing all we can to make life easy for the people of Oyo State and this is reflected in the number of infrastructural projects around the State, for some people to be creating artificial scarcity of fuel for pecuniary reasons is wrong and inhuman.
“The Department of Petroleum Resources should as a matter of urgency swing into action and arrest the situation, they have the work of monitoring cut out for them and this is the moment to bring those marketers sabotaging government by hoarding products to book,” he said.