Scarcity: Hawkers Of Petrol Take Over Abuja Roads As Product Sells For N500/Litre

Hawkers of petrol have taken over major streets at the Federal Capital Territory, following the worsened fuel scarcity which started in Abuja at the weekend.

While the government through the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation had said that there are no plans to increase the pump price of petrol, motorists who are struggling to get the product said they cannot ascertain the cause of the scarcity.

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Most filling stations have been closed down since Friday, while others are selling through a single fuel pump at N162/N163 per litre.

Black marketers who have seized the opportunity to make quick gains are currently selling the product at N500 per litre.

Lady Dara, who purchased 10 litres of petrol from the black market along kubwa express way told our correspondent that she was tired of waiting endlessly at the queue just to to buy petrol for her car.

She said she had joined the queue at NNPC retail station along the jahi/kubwa expressway for more than three hours, with the hope that the retail station would sell to customers.

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She said, “I just bought 10 litres of fuel for N5,000 from these guys selling outside. I have been on the queue for more than three hours, hoping that the retail station would sell to customers till now, they have refused to open up for customers.

“See how long this queue is, I dont know what the issue is, if NNPC can hoard fuel, then is it the private stations that we will expect to sell to customers.

“My concerns is why are they not selling. If they want to increase the price, they should increase the price and make the product available for people to buy. How can we be spending most of our time in queues, this is bad.”

One of the hawkers of petrol told this Website that he sells the product at N500 per litre.

This is coming shortly after the Group Managing Director, of the NNPC, Mele Kyari gave the assurance of surplus petrol in the Corporation’s custody.

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Kyari had cautioned Nigerians against panic buying, stressing that petrol will be available in all the depots in the country.

He said, “We want to inform oil marketing companies that NNPC will not increase the pump price of PMS in May.

“I am giving the assurance and I ask Nigerians to go about their normal businesses; we have over 20 billion litres of petrol in our custody.

“Many of you are aware of this and with the assurance with tanker drivers and NUPENG, there is no need for panic buying of the product.

“Petrol will be available in all the depots in the country including NNPC dispatched depot across the country, so nobody should panic in buying the product.”

ENDS

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