Fuel scarcity cripples Lagos

BY VINCENT KALU, HENRY OKONKWO, LAWRENCE ENYOGHA­SU
The fuel scarcity, which had persisted in Lagos worsened on Friday, grinding commercial and economic activities to a halt. Many commuters were stranded at different bus stops due to lack of vehicles as the few that were plying the roads jerked up their fares by 100 to 300 per cent.
Most of the filling stations in Lagos were not selling, except few that rationed the commod­ity from one or two pumps, causing long queues of ve­hicle, motorcycle and massive cluster of persons with plastic kegs hustling to buy fuel. In this vein, emergency petrol sellers cashed in to make brisk sales.
The pains would have reached the high heaven had yesterday not been declared public holiday to celebrate the Workers Day, so most people stayed at home.
Even as it were, the few who went out had to pay double or triple the usual fare. The queue at any station that was selling, stretched up to a kilometre, and blocked major roads.
Saturday Sun observed that most Lagos roads were empty. Only few private vehicles were seen on the road.
At Kirikiri, where more than five oil marketing companies: Nakeem oil, Swift oil, Tech­noil, Index Petroleum among others have their tank farms, there were no activities as most of the tanker drivers parked and left their trucks, probably waiting for the scarcity to end.
In a chat, one of the workers at the farm , who pleaded ano­nymity, said that the people needed to have been properly informed. According to him, there was no fuel scarcity but only fuel hoarding.
“The hoarding started when the Executive Secretary, Ma­jor Oil Market Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Mr. Thomas Olawore on Thursday last week advised members of MOMAN and Depot and Pe­troleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) that they had just three and a half days left for stock to be ex­hausted. This timing, accord­ing to him, is expected to lapse by Sunday midnight.
“He ( Mr. Olawore), said members were increasingly finding it difficult to continue importation of petrol for a while now, and that though it was the wish of MOMAN to continue to import owing to the efforts committed to the exercise, but market situation had continued to get tougher.
“Evidently, as a result of that statement, we are where we are today. Brother, let me tell you, on that same day they stopped selling fuel, there were still barrel loads of fuel, even we had newly arrived ships,” he stated.
He continued that if any marketer tries to sell, “such marketer will be fined, and even the tanker driver will be equally arrested.”
Ironically, the heat is not being felt by commuters only, hustlers at the depot who spot­ted our reporter lamented that they want the Federal Gov­ernment and the marketers to come to terms.
Our reporter asked them while would they care, since they are the major beneficia­ries of the scarcity and what is their job in the premises. The hustlers simply said we hustle here, we use our tanker to take turn and secure space to, which would be sold to real tanker distributor for a few as low as N100, 000.
Saturday Sun gathered that the fuel pump price varies at different filling stations, a commercial driver, who plies Begger- Mile 2 route said he bought at N150 per litre at Oando, also another driver said he bought at N200 per li­tre at FO.
Against this, emergency petrol sellers have cashed in to make brisk sales. Helpless motorists who can’t stand the crowd at filling stations, re­sorted to these black market dealers even when they sell petrol products very far above the official market price.
On Badagry expressway ( from Orile Iganmu to Agbara, a distance of more than 40 ki­lometres), there are about 20 petrol stations, but none had fuel, which caused the black market price for fuel to be very exorbitant on that route; like at Barracks bus stop, Ojo, where a five-litre keg of fuel sold for N2,000, yesterday morning.
This burden is passed on to the commuters who had to pay double or thrice the normal fare.
Innocent lives at Ijanikin. His normal fare to Mile Two, off peak period is N150, but yesterday afternoon, he told Saturday Sun that he paid N400. “ That not withstanding, we had to struggle to board the bus. The only saving grace is that today is a public holiday. If the situation continues till Monday, most people can’t go to work, and there will be crisis in this country.”
According to Mr. Nwanog­bo, from Cele bus stop, Okota to Oshodi is usually N100 but increased to N200, “ it wasn’t easy getting seat, it was surviv­al of the fittest as we struggled to enter the bus.”
Mrs. Isiaka, usually pays N150 from Oshodi to Toll Gate, Sango, Ogun State, but on Thursday night, the fare was jerked to N350.
An Okada operator plying Maza-maza to Kirikiri in a chat with Saturday Sun dis­closed that two litres of fuel were sold to him at N500. That translates to N250 per litre, in­stead of the N87 official prize, had to increase his fare to meet up with the price of fuel and make profit.
Commercial buses that ply Oshodi to Mile 2, increased the fare by hundred percent. The fare which used to be N100 is now N200 or more. Also short distances like from Oshodi to Toyota, Five Star, and Iyana Isolo, which used to be N50 was raised to N100.
A commercial bus driver, Adamu expressed his grief and told our reporter that govern­ment should not play politics with the welfare of the people. “if this continues the people will be forced to go on ram­page again.”