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By Steve Agbota
As the scarcity of fuel continues to linger majorly in Lagos and Abuja, about 11 ships laden with various petroleum products are currently waiting at the high sea to berth at Lagos ports.
This is coming following the two vessels that arrived and discharged about 300 million litres of petrol last week at Lagos Ports to ease the controversy trailing the quality of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol imported into the country recently.
Daily Sun learnt that out of the 11 vessels, seven are carrying petrol, two are carrying Automated Gas Oil (diesel), one of Jet A1 (aviation fuel) and one of butane gas.
According to the Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) shipping position, obtained by Daily Sun, the vessels are carrying 20,000 metric tones (mt) of petrol each; 10,000mt of diesel each; 5,500mt of Jet A1 and 6,000mt of butage gas.
The tankers vessels are marked “stemmed” and currently waiting at the Lagos anchorage.
Meanwhile, the shipping position also showed that no petroleum product is expected into the country through Lagos port between February 11 and 27, 2022, apart from those already on the Anchorage.
However, other consignments such as motor vehicles, bulk wheat, general cargo, containerised items, gymnasium, sulphur and soda ash and inbalast are expected within the period.
Conversely, fuel scarcity has continued unabated in some major cities across the country. This situation persists as fuel marketers ration fuel, due to the adulterated fuel in circulation.
Many filling stations across the nation are either under lock and key or hoarding the fuel as they are planning to hike the pump price once the fuel in circulation gets exhausted.
A visit to some filling stations who are selling fuel to motorists around Bucknor, Jakande gate and Mushin axis by Daily Sun showed that there is an increase in pump price from official N162 to N165-N180 per a liter.
Some motorists are also seen moving from one place to another in search of fuel, other residents were seen with jerry cans seeking to buy fuel to their power generators, grinding machines, among others.
