Fuel scarcity hits Osun

Despite assurances of availability of Premium Motor Spirit by the Federal Government, many petrol stations in Osun state were not selling the product, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports.

A NAN correspondent who went round the state capital and its environs on Sunday reports that many of the petrol stations were under lock and key.

Meanwhile, the few petrol stations selling the product had long queues of vehicles.

Tayo Arowolo, a fuel attendant in one of the filling stations visited, said the scarcity of the product was as a result of inability of many of the independent marketers to lift the product at the Lagos depot.

Arowolo said most petrol stations in the state were hoarding the products and selling to motorists at a particular time while others stopped selling earlier than expected.

He said that if the situation was not urgently addressed, it would bring untold hardship on the people.

Mr Yusuf Ayinla, a motorist who was on the queue at Cornoil filling station at Old Garage, Osogbo, said it was sad that petrol stations were hoarding the product thereby creating artificial scarcity.

Ayinla, however, implored the appropriate authorities to do the needful before things become more difficult for the common man.

Another motorist, Mr Ayo Adeyanju, said many commercial drivers were taking advantage of the scarcity to increase transport fares.

Adeyanju appealed to government to intervene in the situation before it gets out of hand. (NAN)