Fuel scarcity hits Lagos, worsens in Abuja, others

Entrances to many filling stations in
Lagos and other parts of the
country remained shut to motorists
on Sunday following a sharp drop in
the supply of petrol to the market.
Findings by The PUNCH revealed
that oil marketers were no longer
interested in importing the product
mainly because of the rising
exchange rate of the dollar to the
Naira.
The other factors responsible for
the marketers’ action are delayed
subsidy payments and rising
interests on loans from banks.
An official of a major marketing
firm, who declined to have his
name in print, said, “I am afraid that
we cannot continue to import
petrol because it costs more now to
do so owing to the recent
devaluation of the Naira. The rising
amount of petrol subsidy arrears
payable to us coupled with the
high interests on loans from
financial institutions, are still major
issues in our hands.”
Another marketer told one of our
correspondents that an exchange
rate of N226 per dollar was
demanded on import duties
contrary to the inter-bank
exchange rate of N198 posted on
the website of the Petroleum
Products Pricing Regulatory Agency
for the pricing template of PMS
approved on February 19, 2015.
The major marketers import close
to 60 per cent of petrol consumed
in the country while the Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation
imports the balance.
Our correspondents observed on
Sunday that the states hit badly by
scarcity of petrol were Lagos, Ogun,
Oyo, Bayelsa, Ondo, Ekiti, Kaduna,
Delta, Plateau, Akwa-Ibom. Abuja,
the nation’s capital, appeared to be
the worst hit by the shortage.
The Chairman, Nigeria Union of
Petroleum and Natural Gas
Workers, Lagos Zone, Alhaji
Tokunbo Korodo, said the depots
did not have enough products to
serve filling stations across the
country.
“If there were enough to go round,
tanker drivers, of course, would
move products to the areas of
need. Nigerians should not be
surprised that this is happening
now. It is really unfortunate,” he
said.
In Lagos, many filling stations did
not sell petrol but those that were
open for business had long queues
of motorists to contend with.
Although their pump prices
remained N87 per litre, black
market operators sold 10 litres for
N1,200, i.e N120 per litre.
Drivers of commercial buses
capitalised on the situation to
increase their fares. For instance,
fare for Ojodu-Berger to Magboro,
which hitherto was N50, was N100
on Sunday.
One motorist told one of our
correspondents in Lagos that, “If
our fuel finishes now, we will go
and queue to get another fuel. Now
that we have fuel, passengers
would have to pay more until the
situation improves.
It was a Herculean task for
motorists in Sango-Ota, Ijebu Ode
and Abeokuta in Ogun State to
purchase petrol from the stations.
Although most of the stations sold
petrol at the regulated price of N87
per litre, the Oando Filling Station
in Ijoko, Ota sold it for N100.
A motorist, who bought from the
said station demanded for and was
issued a receipt which she
forwarded to one of our
correspondents.
In Ibadan, Oyo State, one of our
correspondents had learnt on
Friday that the scarcity was due to
unsubstantiated information that
petrol price would go down to N65
per litre.
A manager at one of the stations
in the Mokola area of the city, said
the rumour seemed to be gaining
ground and that the marketers
were studying the situation.
He said, “No businessman wants to
run at a loss. The product we have
now was purchased at the old price.
We have not added any price to the
stipulated N87 per litre of petrol
but the queue is long because
many people are not sure of the
availability of the product in a few
day’s time or why some fuel
stations are not selling.
“Those who are not selling must
have exhausted their product and
are unwilling to buy more at the
old price because of the fear that
the rumour of a new price of N65
per litre could be true. If we buy
today at the current price and
government slashes price
tomorrow, who pays for the
deficit?”
The situation was the same in Ado
Ekiti, Ekiti State on Sunday as many
filling stations rationed the
product.
A station along Adebayo Road
which on Saturday sold the product
for only two hours in the evening
and did not on Sunday.
Motorists and commercial transport
operators went to the hinterland
where petrol sold at a higher price
but readily available. The price
ranged between N100 and N105 per
litre.
The shortage which was noticeable
in Warri, Sapele, Ughelli and other
parts of Delta State thinned out on
Sunday.
But the pump price of the product
remained high in Asaba as
motorists paid between N95 and
N100 per litre.
The attendants said the directive to
sell at prices higher than N87 was
given by their bosses, who they
said claimed to have bought the
product at a higher price .
The scarcity in Ondo State which
began on Thursday worsened on
Sunday. Petrol also sold for
between N95 and N110 per litre in
filling stations that were
operational.
Checks by our correspondent in the
state showed that most of the
stations were still locked .
The Chairman, Independent
Marketers Branch, Nigeria Union of
Petroleum and Natural Gas
Workers, Ore, Mr. Olakunle Ajulo,
attributed the scarcity to the failure
of government to pay subsidy
claims.
He expressed hope that the matter
would soon be resolved as
stakeholders were already tackling
the issue.
Ajulo blamed the shortage in Ondo
and Ekiti states on the fact that the
Ore Depot was not functioning.
There was also scarcity in Yenagoa,
Bayelsa State. Apart from a few
filling stations and the NNPC mega
filling stations, others did not sell
the product.
Some motorists spoken to said it
was only the NNPC mega stations
that sold petrol for N87.
A motorist, who gave his name
simply as Femi, said he bought a
litre for N90.
The product also sold for between
N110 and N120 per litre in Jos,
Bukuru and its environs in Plateau
State.
An attendant at one of the stations,
who identified herself as Yeni, said,
“We have product, but the manager
asked us to lock up the station.”
Many filling stations in Uyo, Akwa
Ibom on Sunday were selling petrol
at N110 per litre as against N140 to
N150 per litre which was prevalent
price for a litre of fuel last week.
Motorists and commuters in Kaduna
State continued to groan in pain in
the wake of fuel scarcity that hit the
metropolis and its environs since
Friday.
The Group General Manager, Group
Public Affairs Division of the NNPC,
Ohi Alegbe, told our correspondent
on the telephone that the Federal
Government had injected fresh 680
million litres of petrol to boost the
product supply base.
He said the effect of the injection
which was done at the weekend
would be felt from Monday(today).
He advised Nigerians to desist from
panic buying of petrol because
there was no need for such.
Meanwhile, the Presidential
Campaign of the All Progressives
Congress has said that the return of
queues at filling stations is a
confirmation that the policies of
the Goodluck Jonathan
administration are founded on
deceit and insincerity.
According to the APC campaign, it is
now evident that the recent
reduction in cost of petrol was
borne out of political expediency,
rather than compassion.
It also condemned the poor
electricity supply across the
country by power firms, describing
it as a sad reminder of the failure of
the PDP-led Federal Government.
The group, in a statement by its
Director of Media and Publicity,
Mallam Garba Shehu, wondered
how a political party which has
been in power for 16 years, could
still feel confident to seek another
term in office.
The statement partly read,“The
issue is that being unable to set up
even one new refinery in the past
five years and unable to get
existing refineries to function up to
50 per cent capacity, the people of
Nigeria surely need another set of
people to be in charge of affairs.

bad government fuel nw 100per litre hre

Make our refineries work and this won't happen.terrible government.

Vote GMB for change.

removed corrupt leaders the we finished this country

i wish pple of this Nation go learn, late Mandela don talk am say we Nigeria are happy with the situation, since 1999 pdp as been there and here and everything did not improve..
this is the time to make a change and vote out pdp, do not vote for personality but vote for change...and if apc didnt do well, we still vote them out for another right person...
be wise..
advocate of good governace

nice post bro good youth of this nation we shall vote them out

Wellsaid @ fxprof

Useless people

Na so them be, people deceiving people.

Uncle Jonah see your life for outside

stainlez wrote:

Uncle Jonah see your life for outside

sebi u were all dancing wen petrol was reduced by N10?

Safex wrote:

stainlez wrote:

Uncle Jonah see your life for outside

sebi u were all dancing wen petrol was reduced by N10?

And what correlation does it have with the fuel scarcity?

stainlez wrote:

Safex wrote:

stainlez wrote:

Uncle Jonah see your life for outside

sebi u were all dancing wen petrol was reduced by N10?

And what correlation does it have with the fuel scarcity?

wat I mean is dat pple were praising jolanta wen fuel price was reduced to N87, buh now d same pple r abusing him

what do you expect when you hv falious as a leader

ancl wrote:

what do you expect when you hv falious as a leader

hmmmm...it is well o

Safex wrote:

stainlez wrote:

Safex wrote:

stainlez wrote:

Uncle Jonah see your life for outside

sebi u were all dancing wen petrol was reduced by N10?

And what correlation does it have with the fuel scarcity?

wat I mean is dat pple were praising jolanta wen fuel price was reduced to N87, buh now d same pple r abusing him

Reduction in fuel price wasn't done by Jona, it was due to the fall in the price in the international Market

We dey deceive ourselves...that's d truth

Nigeria neva corrupt....

Jonathan is not the one that spoiled nigeria and he will not be the last......

Hmmmmm...

150 per litre this morning

We surely nid change, let ask 4 it my people

yes say buhari say baba

ancl wrote:

150 per litre this morning

very cheap bro!

OLOBE wrote:

We surely nid change, let ask 4 it my people

don't say we. Say u need change not we!

ancl wrote:

yes say buhari say baba

is better nigeria divide than buhari beein the president.

ancl wrote:

150 per litre this morning

stop lying! I heard diaris now plenty fuel in ibadan

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

ancl wrote:

yes say buhari say baba

is better nigeria divide than buhari beein the president.

Give us your reason sir?

stainlez wrote:

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

ancl wrote:

yes say buhari say baba

is better nigeria divide than buhari beein the president.

Give us your reason sir?

many reasons okay but i will not drop any one.

Lols

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

stainlez wrote:

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

ancl wrote:

yes say buhari say baba

is better nigeria divide than buhari beein the president.

Give us your reason sir?

many reasons okay but i will not drop any one.

mtshew

yeye

Safex wrote:

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

stainlez wrote:

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

ancl wrote:

yes say buhari say baba

is better nigeria divide than buhari beein the president.

Give us your reason sir?

many reasons okay but i will not drop any one.

mtshew

Let pray for the Leader that will lead us right not wrong,...

Ayusguy wrote:

Safex wrote:

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

stainlez wrote:

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

ancl wrote:

yes say buhari say baba

is better nigeria divide than buhari beein the president.

Give us your reason sir?

many reasons okay but i will not drop any one.

mtshew

Let pray for the Leader that will lead us right not wrong,...

ok sir, prayin & fastin mode now activated!

Safex wrote:

Ayusguy wrote:

Safex wrote:

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

stainlez wrote:

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

ancl wrote:

yes say buhari say baba

is better nigeria divide than buhari beein the president.

Give us your reason sir?

many reasons okay but i will not drop any one.

mtshew

Let pray for the Leader that will lead us right not wrong,...

ok sir, prayin & fastin mode now activated!

That is the only way..

Ayusguy wrote:

Safex wrote:

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

stainlez wrote:

aneke peter chukwujekwu wrote:

ancl wrote:

yes say buhari say baba

is better nigeria divide than buhari beein the president.

Give us your reason sir?

many reasons okay but i will not drop any one.

mtshew

Let pray for the Leader that will lead us right not wrong,...

that is the only way.