Black marketers in Kaduna are having a field day as a result of fuel scarcity in the state.
Many filling stations are closed, a
situation which has forced motorists to patronise the black market,
where the product is sold for between N300 and N350 per litre.
Long queues of vehicles were seen at different black market spots on the outskirts of the city.
Fuel scarcity has affected the price of
transport fare , with passengers paying between N1,700 and N2000 to
Abuja, a journey that cost N1,500 before scarcity.
Residents have been lamenting over the current hardship, with many calling on the government to find a solution.
But, National President of the
Association of Mega Filling Station Owners of Nigeria (AMFSON), Anthony
Amitaye, said unless his members are “adequately engaged” in the
distribution system of petroleum products, the current crisis would
continue.
Abakaliki residents decry unofficial price hike
Residents of Abakaliki, capital of Ebonyi
State, have decried an unofficial hike in the price of a litre of
petrol, which now sells between N165 to N180 at filling stations.
The residents, who spoke in separate
interviews with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) appealed to relevant
authorities to compel oil marketers to sell at the official pump price
of N145 per litre, as transporters have capitalised on the increase to
hike their fares.
A lawyer and civil rights activist,
Clement Mbam, urged the Federal Government to direct relevant agencies
charged with fixing, regulating and monitoring petroleum prices as well
as the distribution of the commodity to ensure its availability.
“Government should compel petroleum
marketers to sell the products at the approved price, through strict
monitoring and supervision of sales at various filling stations.’’
Mr. Chris Elom, lecturer at the
Department of Cooperative Economics, Ebonyi State University (EBSU),
said people are going through difficult times as a result of the current
economic hardship and urged government to address the crisis in the
petroleum sector.
Meanwhile, 28 ships laden with petroleum
products, food items and other goods have arrived Apapa and Tin Can
Island ports in Lagos from yesterday to January 4, 2018.
The Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA) stated
this in its publication, “Shipping Position’,’ a copy of which was made
available to newsmen in Lagos, yesterday.
NPA said the ships contained buck wheat, steel products, empty containers, frozen fish, bulk gas and bulk gypsum.
Other items in the consignment, according
to the NPA, are bulk gas, bulk fertiliser, aviation fuel, ethanol,
diesel, petrol and containers laden with goods.
NAN reported that six ships with bulk
fertiliser, aviation fuel and petrol consignment are currently at Lagos
ports, waiting to berth.
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