Fuel scarcity hits Lagos, Abuja, other cities

Many filling stations in Lagos and other parts of the country remained shut to motorists on Sunday following a sharp drop in the supply of petrol to the market.

Oil marketers were no longer interested in importing the product mainly because of the rising exchange rate of the dollar to the Naira.

The other factors responsible for the marketers’ action are delayed subsidy payments and rising interests on loans from banks.

An official of a major marketing firm, who declined to have his name in print, said, “I am afraid that we cannot continue to import petrol because it costs more now to do so owing to the recent devaluation of the Naira. The rising amount of petrol subsidy arrears payable to us coupled with the high interests on loans   from financial institutions, are still major issues in our hands.”

Another marketer said that an exchange rate of N226 per dollar was demanded on import duties contrary to the inter-bank exchange rate of N198 posted on the website of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency for the pricing template of PMS approved on February 19, 2015.

The major marketers import close to 60 per cent of petrol consumed in the country while the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation imports the balance.

Lagos, Ogun, Oyo, Bayelsa, Ondo, Ekiti, Kaduna, Delta, Plateau, Akwa-Ibom and Abuja,the nation’s capital, appear to be the worst hit by the shortage.

The Chairman, Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, Lagos Zone, Alhaji Tokunbo Korodo, said the depots did not have enough products  to serve filling stations  across the country.

“If there were enough to go round, tanker drivers, of course, would move products to the areas of need. Nigerians should not be surprised that this is happening now. It is really unfortunate,” he said.

In Lagos, many filling stations did not sell petrol but those that were open for business had long queues of motorists to contend with.

Although their pump prices remained N87 per litre, black market operators sold 10 litres for N1,200, i.e N120 per litre.

Drivers of commercial buses capitalised on the situation to increase their fares.For instance, fare for Ojodu-Berger to Magboro, which hitherto was N50, was N100 on Sunday.

Punch