Fuel scarcity on Tuesday resurfaced in Akure, Ondo state capital, as most of the filling stations within the city have stopped dispensing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), known as petrol, to motorists.
Some few filling stations selling fuel to motorists experienced long queues with people struggling to buy the products while there was reduction in the vehicular movements on the roads within the state capital.
Tribune Online noticed that many of the filling stations sell petrol between N250 and N400 per litre, while the situation was similar in Owo, Ikare, Ondo town, Idanre, Ore and other major towns in the state.
In Akure, Northwest Petrol Station, located along the expressway sold fuel at N195 per litre with long queues blocking the road and hindering free flow of traffic on the ever busy road.
The situation was not different at an annexe of the NNPC station in the Shagari area, as the entrance to the filling station witnessed a surge of commercial vehicles, especially motorcycles.
Some of the motorists who spoke with our correspondent lamented over the increase in the price of fuel saying it was a deliberate attempt to further frustrate Nigerians.
A commercial driver, Wale Adewole, said that he had been on queue for over three hours at one of the filling stations situated around Ilesa garage, waiting to get a few litres into his vehicle.
Adewole said the new President’s statement on subsidy was responsible for the new development, adding that the declaration had an adverse effect on the price of the product.
He said; “We are just our own problem in this country, not the government. Tinubu was sworn-in on Monday, and all of a sudden they (fuel marketers) began to lock their filling stations in anticipation of selling at a higher price.
“The queue you’re seeing this morning is as a result of the announcement by the new president (Tinubu) that fuel subsidy has been removed,”
The situation was same at an annexe of the NNPC station located along Akure/ Owo road tas the filling station witnessed a surge of motorists and commercial motorcycles
Speaking on the development, the chairman of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) Kunle Adewale, attributed the long queues and scarcity to the non-availability of petrol at the depot.
Adewale said people would have to endure the scarcity and prices until the federal government states its position on the official petrol price.
“Many of us (marketers) have been at the depot to get petrol for the past two weeks now, and we couldn’t get it. The scarcity had been on before the new president announced removing the fuel subsidy.
“So, it’s the few available ones that we have already that we would sell to buy another one. And it would be difficult to sell at the old price because it’s also getting difficult to get the product and stock too.”
Meanwhile, officials of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA) have clamped down some five filling stations in the state.
They were alleged to be hoarding fuel and refuse to dispense fuel to consumers, despite its availability in their reserve.
Some motorists hailed the NMDPRA officials saying the action would reduce the fuel scarcity in the state.
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