Fuel Queue Hits Enugu After Tinubu’s Fuel Subsidy Revelation

Fuel queue surfaced in Enugu metropolis some hours after the inaugural address of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Monday.

Tinubu had in his speech stated that this year’s budget excluded fuel subsidy, hence the palliative measure had been removed. Shortly after his speech, some filling stations that opened for business closed while the few that are selling experienced queues.

At a filling station along New Market-Agu-Abor road, motorists and black market dealers battled to buy the commodity.

The lady attendant, who spoke to our correspondent off camera, said her manager instructed her to be selling unlike other dealers that closed for business.

She said, “The price today is N240, which is different from what we sold yesterday. I don’t know the cause of the rush. But I think Tinubu’s speech caused it. I didn’t hear the speech, but many buyers have been coming, especially black market dealers.

“They are coming from far and near. Motorists also bring gallons to buy fuel. It has not been so in the recent past.”

A buyer told our correspondent that, “Tinubu has removed the fuel subsidy. Any time from now, a litre of fuel can reach N1000. That is why people are rushing to buy the commodity. Tinubu’s government may just be worse than Buhari’s own. Or they might be making ways for Dangote refinery to take over the market.”

A motorist said, “My wife told me to buy enough fuel because the price will rise any moment from now. That is why I brought gallons to stock fuel in case anything happens from now.”

Our correspondent reports that prices of fuel in the few filling stations that sell range from N240 to N255. Up until the recent development, the price was around N230.