Long fuel queues are still persistent in various filling stations across Gombe metropolis, three months into the scarcity that is yet to disappear in most areas of the metropolis.
Our correspondent who went round some parts of the metropolis reports that, motorists were stranded and helpless in long queues, struggling to buy fuel at various filling stations.
Head of Operations at the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Gombe, Mr Bernard Amos, said the scarcity persisted because of shortfall in fuel supplies and sharp practices by some consumers of the product.
He disclosed that since the fuel scarcity began in December 2017, Gombe has been experiencing a shortfall in supplies.
Mr Amos said the weekly sufficiency requirement for the state is 4.1 million litres or 15 trucks of 40, 000 litres each, but is now getting 2.9 million litres or 7 trucks, which he said is far below the supply.
“The supply has been fluctuating since December, and most times, fuel supplies to Gombe is below the sufficiency level, and sharp practices by marketers had been making the process of acquiring the product by the public more difficult,” he said.
The head of operations added that some of the petrol stations are also selling above the official pump price to vehicles with excess tanks and to people in jerry cans.
Amos said the solution to the fuel scarcity is when the markets are flooded with petroleum products, “because when every filing station has the product available for everyone, there would be no market for sharp practices.”
Therefore, he called on the public to inform the department of any corrupt practices they observed in filling stations, so that the appropriate sanctions would be placed on offenders and the product would be made available for the public to buy.
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