Long queue at a filling station
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
On Wednesday morning in Maiduguri, the capital of Borno State, most filling stations within the metropolis were shut down as a result of fuel scarcity.
The long queues which started in some parts of the metropolis last week have persisted up until Wednesday. The situation looked as if some petrol stations are hoarding fuel in anticipation of an increase in the pump price.
The pathetic situation has left many residents stranded specifically schools children, traders and workers as many has restored to trekking to their destinations not minding the distance in the wake of the fuel scarcity.
Our correspondent, who visited some filling stations in Maiduguri, observed that the fuel attendants are mostly selling to the black marketers with few motorists at the rate of #200 to N250 per liter.
A filling station attendant at NNPC Mega Filling Station, Kano road Maiduguri, Babagana Yunus said,” the scarcity of fuel started since last week when the issue of adulterated fuel was detected in the supply chain across the country and government ordered for the withdrawal of such fuel which have been conveyed by some fuel dealers to their filling stations.”.
“As such, buying or lifting fuel from the depot became a difficult thing as result of serious monitoring, checking and delay due to long processes”.
“So, before a dealer gets fuel and transport to the filling station and upload for the motorists and riders, it takes time, a whole lot of time. Apart from the cost and other miscellaneous expenses resulting in scarcity and high fuel pump price,”.
Musa Adamu Kaka at Masifa filling station Biu road told our correspondent that ,”the scarcity is as a result of the hike in the fuel pump price by oil marketers, who got the fuel at a high price and have to resale at high price to make profit. “
“Hence the fuel is not available and even when it’s available, it is expensive to buy”, Kaka said.
Meanwhile, efforts to get the The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Zonal Operations Controller, North-East zone, Mr. Ali Zaoka, was not successful as he was unavailable to comment on the situation.
