Fuel scarcity worsens, Abuja black marketeers sell N350/litre

 As fuel shortages intensify, Abuja street vendors are charging N350 per litre.

The persistent fuel shortage got worse in several areas of the nation on Monday, when drivers in Abuja purchased gasoline for between N300 and N350 per litre.

Residents of Abuja who spoke with our correspondent expressed regret over the rise in PMS's cost as well as the challenges they had in obtaining the medication.

Michael Adebanjo, a motorist who revealed his name, claimed that as of Monday, black marketeers were charging between N300 and N350 for fuel.

I've been purchasing from black marketeers for between N300 and N350 per litre, he declared. In the majority of filling stations in Abuja, there is no fuel. There is a very long line for those who have. Since I lack the patience to wait, I frequently turn to the illicit market.

Another driver, identified only as Ubong Edet, claimed that despite being able to purchase the product for N250 at a gas station over the weekend, he was compelled to pay N300 per litre on the black market due to access issues.

"I purchased on Saturday for N250. The line was so lengthy that I had to join it in order to even receive it that day. It was considerably more challenging today. The lines are a different story. I therefore made the decision to buy today on the black market. I paid N300 for each liter.

In Abuja, the Khalif filling station in Kubwa sold the product on Sunday for N250 per litre, although the price was shown as N165 per litre on the pumps.

Since February of this year, the lines for gasoline in Abuja haven't stopped, but on Sunday, they got worse in the neighboring states of Nasarawa and Niger as drivers looked for PMS to use to get around during the Sallah break.

Oil marketers refuted accusations of product hoarding or diversion, pointing out that the NNPC's inadequate supply of PMS and the failure to pay bridging claims for the transportation of gasoline were the main causes of the shortage.

According to Billy Gillis-Harry, president of the Nigerian Association of Petroleum Products Retail Outlets, filling stations that had fuel to sell were operating while those that were closed were unable to do so.

Further investigation, however, reveals that as additional gas stations supplied Premium Motor Spirit, more commonly known as gasoline, to drivers on Monday, the lines for the substance shrank in several areas of Abuja and the nearby states of Nasarawa and Niger.

On Monday, there were fewer lines at more filling stations in Abuja, including those along the Kubwa-Zuba Road, Airport Road, and Central Business District.

Petrol was sold to drivers at retail locations like AY Shafa in Deidei, NNPC mega station along Kubwa-Zuba road, Major Oil on Airport Road, and many others.

Marketers claim that the shorter lines may be the result of less automobiles on the roadways because many people of the capital city were thought to have traveled to observe the Sallah break outdoors.

However, Chief John Kekeocha, the National Secretary of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, said that more trucks were leaving towards Abuja with loads of goods.

If everything stays the same and there isn't any further agitation for the payment of bridging claims, he informed our correspondent, "we are hoping that very soon the queues in Abuja and the surrounding areas would disperse.

"On pricing discrepancy, this is due to the fact that many marketers purchased their goods at higher prices than what the government had permitted, and they had to obtain the necessary margin in order to remain in business."

However, Kekeocha continued, "No official announcement of any revision in the price of gasoline, whether it be an increase or decrease, has been made. Consequently, the government-approved official price of gasoline remains at N165 per litre.