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From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
Abuja residents are battling yet another round of fuel (Premium Motor Spirit) crisis as long queues snake their way back to filling stations across the city.
The sudden resurgence of these queues, which reportedly began on Thursday evening, has raised worries among both drivers and commuters.
The situation has been worsened by a noticeable hike in fuel prices, with reports indicating some stations selling petrol for as high as N850 per liter.
Also, black market sellers (hawkers) have also reappeared on the streets selling the product for as high as N1,000 per liter and N9,500 to N10,000 for 10 liters.
SundaySun noticed that many filling stations along the Airport Road, Kubwa Express, Central Business District (CBD) as well as other parts of the city had very long queues in front of them with drivers scrambling to obtain the product.
For instance, Conoil and Total Energy at CBD, AP at Maitama as well as NIPCO along the Airport Road, all had very long queues that stretched several yards.
Sunday Sun also observed large crowds of stranded commuters at various bus stations, who were waiting to get vehicles to their various businesses.
As motorists endure the frustration of waiting in line for hours to fuel their vehicles, concerns are mounting over the potential impact on transportation, businesses, and daily life in the city.
An e-hailing cab driver, Mr Sunday Idah said he had to endure almost eight hours of waiting at one of the filling stations to purchase the product.
He expressed his frustration, saying, “Just think how much I could have earned if I had been working during those eight hours wasted at the filling station, all to buy fuel at a high price.”
Another Cab driver Mr. Alia Ahmed, called on the government to finally deal with the recurring fuel scarcity problem decisively.
He expressed his disappointment, stating, “It is truly shameful for the nation’s capital to constantly struggle with fuel shortages in a country abundant in petroleum resources. The authorities must identify and resolve the root causes nce and for all. I believe the lack of political will is the reason why this issue persists.”
Chinelo Ugwu shared her experience of waiting for over two hours at a bus stop along the airport road to get to Wuse market on Saturday morning. She recounted losing a customer due to the delay, as she couldn’t reach her shop on time to provide a service.
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According to her, “I lost a client because I could not reach my shop on time. I had assured the client I would be at my office by 8 am to install her wig for a wedding she was to attend at 10 am, as she could not make it earlier in the week due to work. I left home before 7 am, waited over two hours for transportation, and when my client couldn’t wait any longer, she opted for someone else. It was truly heartbreaking. By the time I reached my shop, it was already past 11 am.”
Grace Michael also mentioned being compelled to pay an e-cab hailing driver N3,500 instead of the N2,200 charged by the app, as the driver refused to accept the lower amount.
“I went out on Friday evening and when I was ready to go home, I ordered a ride that displayed a fee of N2200 from the location to my house. To my surprise, when the driver arrived, he demanded I increase the fare to N3,500 because he had spent a long time at the filling station and bought fuel at a higher price. What frustrated me more was that he did not even inform me beforehand, giving me a chance to decide whether to cancel or not. With time running out and other ride options canceling, I had no choice but to pay the increased amount.”
Meanwhile, the Major Energy Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) has attributed the scarcity to supply chain disruption.
MEMAN’s Executive Secretary, Clement Isong, disclosed in an interview that recent heavy rainfall, particularly in Lagos, hindered truck operations due to thunderstorms at the depots.
He said, “The supply chain is slower when there is a thunderstorm. 24-hour supply chain disruption means that the stations are dry. During the rainy season, the trucks drive more slowly, they also get stuck when the roads are flooded.”
He reassured that the queues would disappear within a few days, saying, “There is product in Lagos, the product is coming and the product is moving.”
However, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), which is the major supplier of PMS in the country, said there has been no price adjustment for the product.
The Chief Corporate Communications Officer of the, Mr Olufemi Soneye, via a phone chat with our correspondent, also added that the company has no supply issues.
“There has been no price adjustment for PMS. For your other questions- please contact the NMDPRA. NNPC Ltd is not a regulator; we are just a player in the market. We also have no supply issues,” he explained.
Also reacting, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) expressed surprise at the fuel scarcity, stating it was not aware of the situation as at the time of filing this report.
NMDPRA Spokesperson, Mr George Ene-ita told Sunday Sun via a chat that, “Pls I’m not in Abj atm and when I left a couple of days ago all was well on the S&D side of things. And it’s quite surprising bcos everywhere else in the country seems stable. Especially where I’m at now.”
He however, promised to make enquiries about the cause of the fuel problem and revert.
