Motorists, commuters groan as fuel scarcity worsens

By Adewale Sanyaolu

The pervasive fuel shortage plaguing Lagos, Abuja and other parts of the country took a distressing turn yesterday, with long queues of vehicles besieging many filling stations in desperate effort to refuel.

Black marketers have latched on the horror to fleece desperate motorists as they sold the commodity for N1,000/litre in many jurisdictions in Abuja.

Nonetheless, major and independent marketers bore the brunt of the supply shortfall, while NNPC retail outlets rationed fuel to motorists.

Investigations by Daily Sun uncovered that many stations, which had stocked up over the weekend, were now depleted, exacerbating the hardships faced by consumers.

Many motorists in Abuja lamented that they have returned to the era of sleeping in filling stations as the scarcity has worsened.

They also lamented that oil marketers with less queues of vehicles sold the product at costly as N790/1litre.

In Lagos, the situation is not any better. From Agege to Ogba, Surulere to Akowonjo, Victoria Island to Lekki, Abule-Egba to Ikorodu, and Badagry, the scarcity persisted across various retail points.

Several motorists voiced their frustrations to Daily Sun, urging authorities to urgently address the recurring fuel shortages. Mr. Toheed Adekanbi, a commercial bus operator, lamented how the scarcity disrupted transport operations crucial for daily livelihoods.

Mrs. Adeola Oni recounted her futile attempt to secure 20 liters of fuel for her generator, essential for her ice block business, amidst interminable queues.

At the Mobil retail outlet on College Road, Ogba, Lagos, queues compounded traffic woes as motorists jostled to refuel, illustrating the widespread impact of the shortage.

Speaking anonymously, a marketer at an Apapa depot disclosed that loading activities had sharply declined in recent weeks. He revealed that priority was now given to trucks bound for Abuja, following directives from regulatory bodies.

In a coordinated response, the Coalition of Civil Society Groups for Good Governance emphasized the need for collaboration between oil marketers and the NNPC to ensure efficient petroleum product distribution nationwide. This call came during a roundtable meeting in Lagos, attended by key stakeholders including Olufemi Lawson, Declan Ihekiare, Sina Loremikan, Ganzallo Gbenga, Abdullahi Alli, and Aisha Kewulere.

The coalition underscored the imperative of prioritizing national interests by harmonizing efforts to surmount challenges and enhance service delivery across Nigeria.