Nigeria as a nation is one of the global oil producing countries. Her efforts in producing oil in the global market secured her membership of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) from 1971. For decades, oil has been the major source of revenue in the country and also the major export product.
Nevertheless, the price of fuel (petroleum) keeps fluctuating in the country as a result of change in the global oil price ushered by the change in the demand of the product in the global oil market.
Even though Nigeria is a petroleum producing country, scarcity of fuel is one of the things that keeps alarming the common man. Fuel scarcity in Nigeria has left the common man with several questions unanswered. Nigerians have been reading the causes of ‘fuel scarcity’ on the pages of newspapers and listening/viewing from the radio and television respectively, but still one question remains unanswered.
One of the major determinants that a layman on the street sees as an indicator for fuel scarcity is festivity. Fuel scarcity is often common when the country is approaching a national festivity such as Christmas, Sallah, Maulude, New Year, Easter and other related ceremonies. These pose the question in the mind of the masses: ‘Is Nigerian fuel scarcity nature or man-made?’
Dear stakeholders, these are voices from the street. You ascend into power by the vote of the grassroots. The voices that chorused ‘Sai Kunyi’ are now crying ‘Waiyo Allah’. These voices cannot curse or insult you, but are and will continue to pray for you.
Dear fellow Nigerians, Nigeria is our state and the only heritage we should not destroy by pen or gun but rather together let us make the country sparkle in the global environment. Nigeria our country and our pride.
Grace Daniel, Mass Communication, University of Maiduguri
