Fresh scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol has brought back queues to Lagos, Abuja and other major cities across the country as many motorist were forced to buy a litre of fuel at nearly N1000.
The scarcity experienced over the weekend led to disruption of commercial and social activities in Abuja and the country’s commercial capital of Lagos, as well as Kaduna, Kano, Port Harcourt, Niger, Nasarawa, and several other states.
Many filling stations shut down their operations due to the severe undersupply of PMS.
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In Lagos, the current petrol scarcity assumed an alarming dimension, with most of the major filling stations shut while a few that opened for business were flooded by long human and vehicular queues that stretched along major roads.
It was observed on Awolowo Road in Ikoyi, Lagos, only the two NNPC mega stations were selling the product, but with heavy queues of desperate motorists and jerry-can-bearing buyers that crammed the facilities, causing heavy traffic gridlock on the busy road.
The Total filling station on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Way, Ikeja, was not selling, while the Northwest filling stations at Maryland Bus Stop was open, but with heavy queues that caused traffic congestion on Ikorodu Road towards Palmgroove.
The story was the same in Surulere, where most of the filling stations were either shut or open for skeletal trading with heavy queues.
Amid the scarcity yesterday, NNPC sold between N650 and N700 per litre at its stations in Lagos.
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But private marketers that were open sold between N750 and N900. Black marketers, who sell in jerry-cans, sold as high as N1,500 to N2,500 per litre, depending on location and desperation of the buyer.
In Osogbo, Osun State, petrol was unavailable in most filling stations observed in Ayetoro, Old Garage, and Ota Efun Area, while a handful of independent marketers dispensing fuel sold the product for N800/litre.
Motorists and commuters decried the increase in petrol prices in Edo State. Independent marketers sold it for between N830 and N890/litre in the state capital while the outlets owned by major marketers sold for between N680 and N688/litre.
The cost of transportation worsened in Uyo as petrol sold for between N900 and N950/litre in the metropolis.
Petrol scarcity in Bauchi State did not change as customers stayed in long queues to buy the product on Sunday.
Residents of Lafia, the Nasarawa State capital, lamented the hike in the price of PMA and the scarcity of the product.
The scarcity was also pronounced in Sokoto State as many residents expressed frustration over the development.
The fuel scarcity in the Kaduna metropolis and its environs continued unabated on Sunday, causing untold hardship to motorists and other road users.
In Benue State, petrol was sold at between N960 and N980/litre in many filling stations.
Residents of Gombe State lamented the increase in the cost of PMS across most filling stations in the state.
Petrol remained scarce in the Federal Capital Territory ( FCT) yesterday. Apart from some NNPCL retail outlets, only a few independent filling stations sold the product.
While NNPCL sold for N617 per litre, some independent marketers sold for between N625 per litre to N996 per litre. Black marketers sold 10 litres at N1,000 per litre for N11,000 in plastic containers.
Some drivers sacrificed their Sunday worship for petrol sourcing, leaving their homes as early as 6:00am to queue in different stations.
Motorists and commuters in Ekiti State lamented the increase in the pump price, which has been fluctuating at stations across the state.
Most independent petrol stations visited in Ado-Ekiti, the state capital, sold petrol for between N850 to N900/litre while major marketers sold for between N650 and 680 per litre.
The situation has forced motorists to jerk up the transportation fare.
A motorist simply identified as Yaro, who plies the Ado Ekiti/ Ilesha route, lamented the situation, saying he purchased fuel at the rate of N850 in a private petrol station in Ado-Ekiti.
Filing stations sold petrol for N950 per litre in Dutse, the state capital, and many towns in the state.
In Enugu and its environs, petrol was sold for between N880 and N920 per litre and N1,300 on the black market. But the product was available in most petrol stations in the Enugu metropolis.
Mobil, Total, among other mega stations sold for between N690 and N760 per litre.
The hike in the pump price of PMS has led to an increase in transport fare by commercial drivers, as those plying Agbani Road / Holy Ghost Roads, who charged N200, increased the fare to N400.
NNPC vows to end queue by Wednesday
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited has vowed to end the queues for Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, by Wednesday, as the black market for PMS boomed on Sunday.
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC, Olufemi Soneye in a statement said; “The NNPC Ltd regrets the tightness in fuel supply witnessed in some parts of Lagos and the FCT (Federal Capital Territory), which is as a result of distribution challenges.
“The company further urges motorists to shun panic buying as it is working round the clock with relevant stakeholders to restore normalcy.”
But operators told The PUNCH that the fuel supply situation at the depots had yet to improve as of Sunday.
An official of one of the top petroleum companies in Nigeria said the company was out of stock.
“We don’t have supply yet. For us and many depots in Apapa, it’s nil stock,” the official, who spoke in confidence due to lack of authorisation to speak on the matter, stated.
An oil marketer disclosed that the scarcity might get worse in Lagos during the week as there was no improvement in supply.
“The scarcity may get worse in Lagos during the week. Nothing is changing yet. Though motorists still get the product to buy although at very high rates,” the marketer disclosed.
A depot operator revealed that “depots will still get supplies this week, but definitely it will not be enough to meet desired demand to bring down the fuel crisis.”
The manager of a filling station in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, said a litre of petrol was N880 as of Friday.
The manager, who identified himself simply as Adeyanju, said his principal had not been able to get fuel since Friday, adding that the private depots were hiking the price of petrol.
On his part, the National Publicity Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Chief Ukadike Chinedu, said the challenges in the downstream oil sector were compounded by the recent nationwide hunger protests.
“Aside from the fact that there is not enough supply, the recent protests disrupted activities in the downstream oil sector. We are still struggling to sort that one out and there is also the challenge of low supply of petrol,” he stated.
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