By Adetola Bademosi and Lawrence Bajah, Abuja
Petroleum scarcity has continued to bite harder in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) with longer fuel queues in filling stations.
Most filling stations are either not selling despite long queues or selling above the regulated price of N185/litre.
Findings revealed that there are long queues in the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited designated filling stations compared to others.
The reason, it was later learnt to be because the NNPCL sells at the regulated price while others sell between N195 and N200 per litre.
Motorists have, however, lamented the situation describing this as hellish.
While speaking to The Nigerian Tribune on Monday, they said the current harsh weather condition was also not helping as they have to queue under the sun for hours.
“This is not a palatable situation at all. I have been here since 7 am this morning, I just got fuel now (2 pm) after parting with N1,000 to fast-track it.
” I was here yesterday but six cars to get to me, they said fuel has finished,” Mr James stated.
Of the filling stations visited to ascertain the situation, in Asokoro and Garki in particular, only a few had fuel to dispense, there were long queues causing traffic obstruction in the process, and most of the filling stations were under lock and key.
Motorists complained bitterly about spending hours under the sun, in order to get fuel, a motorist who spoke to Nigerian Tribune under the condition of anonymity lamented that; “Something needs to be done about this sad petroleum issue, I have spent almost the whole of my day here when I should be doing something tangible elsewhere”.
Just beside and opposite the filling stations, the Total filling station in Asokoro, right in the presence of police officers, black marketers were seen having a field selling as much as N350 per litre.
In the area councils, in Kwali, along the Abuja-Lokoja expressway, most filling stations sold as much 320 per litre, with long queues at present.
In Abuja Municipal Area Council (AMAC), settlements like Jikwoyi, Kurudu, Orozo and Karshi, filling stations sold fuel as much as 300 naira per litre. At the same time, black marketers had a field day selling as much as 500 naira per litre.
The situation in the settlements forced Keke drivers to protest the hike in price and stay off the roads, a condition which left workers stranded on Monday morning.
A commuter who gave her name as Grace told Nigerian Tribune; “We have been left at the mercy of these Keke guys and now just because they are off the road, we are finding it difficult to get to work, the government should solve this issue of fuel scarcity and again the government buses from Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA), that take us to work no longer ply this route again without any reason given to us”.
To this end, Motorist urged the FG to speedily address the situation as man hours were being wasted on fuel queues.
