States across the North Central and Kaduna State are not experiencing fuel scarcity or long queues at fuel stations even as the federal government has suspended the removal of petroleum subsidy.
Our correspondents report that even before the federal government’s pronouncement on Monday, there were no queues in Benue, Kaduna, Kwara and Niger states but motorists complained of hoarding in Jos, the Plateau State capital.
Daily Trust also observed that it was business as usual at fuel stations across Kaduna State as they dispensed petroleum products without hinderance.
A commercial driver, Muhammad Abubakar, said the government’s decision to backtrack on the removal of subsidy was the right way to go.
Also, a businesswoman who gave her name as Maman Maimuna said her only problem is how to fuel her grinding machine because Kaduna’s peculiar situation made it impossible for small businesses to purchase fuel in jerry cans.
“My business has suffered immensely. I find it very difficult to fuel my grinding machine because I have to carry the whole engine to the filling station unlike when I just carried my jerry can to the station,” she said.
In Minna, the Niger State capital, most filling stations visited by our correspondent were found selling petrol at prices that range between N165 and N170.
Hoarding in Plateau
In Plateau State, our correspondent reports that several fuel stations were hoarding petroleum products even though queues were not as visible as they were in December and early January.
Sani Muhammad, a taxi driver, told Daily Trust that commercial drivers had been buying fuel from the black market as no station was ready to sell it.
He accused the fuel marketers of hoarding the products before in the hope that the price would be increased.
“We are not finding it easy. We are only managing to get the fuel from the black markets where the price has been increased,” he said.
No fuel at Ilorin depot
Speaking with Daily Trust in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, the Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Abdullateef Abdulrauf Kamaja, said there was no cause for scarcity even though there was no PMS in Ilorin depot.
Our correspondent observed that many of the filling stations visited were dispensing fuel unhindered.
“Some logistics problem was responsible for why petroleum product is no longer being pumped as before. What we do is to embark on bridging by going to Lagos to buy from private depots and that arrangement has served us very well thus far until things normalise which we are hoping very soon. So, there is no cause for alarm and we don’t foresee any kind of scarcity,” Kamaja added.
From Hope Abah Emmanuel (Makurdi), Maryam Ahmadu-Suka (Kaduna), Abubakar Akote (Minna) and Ado Abubakar Musa (Jos) and Mumini AbdulKareem (Ilorin)
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