Scarcity: Motorists Groan As Long Queue Resurfaces In Lagos Fuel Stations

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Sunday, February 28th, 2016

By Ayo Balogun/Seun Adebosin

LAGOS, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise referred to as petrol supply has again declined in some parts of the country, as long queue of vehicles has returned to some gas stations in the Lagos metropolis.

A window to this sudden development AFRICAN EXAMINER Correspondents was observed penultimate last week, as some gas stations experienced surge of customers, who could not get the product, either on their ways or from their regular marketers.

Since Thursday last week, the queue became more visible in more gas stations.

Situation however became worsen late Friday, as the number of filling stations selling fuel dropped drastically, leaving longer queue of customers at the few outlets willing to sell.

When AFRICAN EXAMINER Correspondents moved around some parts of Lagos city Saturday, the experience was nasty, as more gas stations shot their entrance and exit gates, with “No Fuel” notices, apparently to avoid pressure from the anxious customers.

AFRICAN EXAMINER can also confirm that barely 60 per cent of gas stations including the NNPC sales outlets, claimed they did not have the products in stock.

However, the claim by some of the outlets might not be genuine after all, as our Correspondent discovered an independent (marketer) outlet on Yahya Abatan axis, towards Aguda in Ogba, despite the attendants turning down the motorists and Okada as well as tricycles commercial operators, were seen still selling inside the jerry cans to few selected customers.

Attempt to deliberately hoard the product by some of the marketers was further confirmed by one of our Correspondents at a major gas station in Grammar school, Ojodu area, Ikeja, as an attendant in it, responded that the price of the product has been hike by certain margin from their source.

Although, the gas station was selling to the public and curiously, did not experience a huge queue, as happens in the few outlets selling in the metropolis.

The situation Saturday on Lagos-Abeokuta expressway; Iju and College roads, in Ojokoro; Ifako/Ijaye; Agege motor roads; Akilo road; Oba Ogunji, Oke Koto, Ipaja road in Agege; Oba Akran in Ikeja areas was unpleasant as most gas stations claimed not having the product, while the very few selling, were besieged by desperate private and commercial motorists who buy both into their vehicles and jerry cans.

There is no official explanations yet, given for the sudden development, except the recent speculation that the PMS pump price is like to further nosedived, due to further crash in price of crude oil at the global market.

Sadly, the scarcity is being experienced when the Minister of Petroleum, President Muhammadu Buhari and his Minister of State, as well as GMD of NNPC, Ibe Kachikwu were away in Saudi Arabia, for among others on tour to prompt discussion on how to stabilize the oil market and its price. President Buhari last week struck a deal on the subject with the Saudi Arabia Kingdom, head, King Salman Bin- Abdul Aziz.