Long queues have resurfaced at filling stations across Abuja, Nigeria’s capital city, as motorists struggle to purchase petrol.
The queues surfaced Monday morning and remained through Thursday, as traffic gridlocks appeared across major parts of the city while many service lanes were closed to traffic.
Many filling stations in Wuye, the Central Business District, Wuse, Kubwa, and the Lugbe areas of the city sold petrol at prices ranging between N680 and N700.
However, the retail outlets of the NNPC continue to sell the product for N617 per litre.
Black marketers were also seen hawking petrol in jerry cans as interested motorists and other residents jostled to buy at prices ranging between N1000 and N1200 per litre.
A PREMIUM TIMES correspondent who visited petrol stations Thursday morning found that some of the stations were shut while others were besieged by motorcyclists, tricycle owners, as well as private and commercial drivers.
A long queue was seen at the NNPC retail outlet along the Central Business District Area along Wuse Road. The situation was the same at stations owned by Shafa, NIPCO, A.A. Rano, TotalEnergies, Shema, and Conoil among other stations visited.
Lamentations
A car owner, James Nwachukwu, told PREMIUM TIMES that the reason for the fuel queue is unknown.
“I think there is fuel. In my opinion, the reason for the recent queue remains unknown. The government should just help Nigerians to bring sanity to the oil sector,” Mr Nwachukwu said.
Another car owner, Dave Anthony, blamed the queue on an anticipated crash in the price of fuel.
“Many Nigerians anticipated a crash in prices of PMS so I think that’s the reason why there are queues. Most marketers are also conscious of sudden price reductions,” he said.
A commercial driver, Ojo Adewale, said he had to increase his fare for transportation because of the difficulties of getting petroleum products.
“To get petrol now is so difficult. Most filling stations are not selling even when you see the ones that are selling, you will see a queue at the station,” he said.
A civil servant, who gave his name as John, lamented that the government was aware of the situation.
“What is happening? I don’t know the way the government is treating us, I don’t like it at all. I’m tired of this country.
“How can we be suffering for the fuel each time when the country has enough? Even with the removal of subsidy. Why all this suffering for God’s sake?” he asked.
Another civil servant, Martin Ewaoche, said that the return of fuel queues in Abuja was not good for the economy.
“We are spending hours here queuing to buy fuel when we could have been doing something more productive with our time. This is not too good for the economy,” he said.
A car user, Moses Oji, expressed fears over the ripple effect of the queues in the next few days.
“Don’t be surprised that by tomorrow the situation might be worse than what is already on the ground,” he said.
Ibrahim Sanusi, a tricycle operator in Karu, said “It is the marketers, they all stopped supplying fuel since the federal government wanted to bring down the price of fuel. So they want the stations to finish selling before they go and buy another one and supply.
“I went to this filling station around 8 a.m. today, but I am just leaving now to start business around 11 a.m. I know people who have been in the queue since 5:30 a.m. this morning. Many of these keke drivers parked it because they couldn’t get fuel” he said.
A trader, who gave his name as Chuks Nyanya, narrated his experience to this newspaper
“I couldn’t get any car or bike, even the bike I wanted to use told me that I would pay N1,500 from Jikwoyi Phase 2 to Nyanya because of the roadblock caused by the people on the queue at the NIPCO filling station in Nyanya.
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“I have already decided to trek from here to Nyanya. What kind of country do I come from like this, won’t I go back to Ghana like this, I have my passport and everything. Nigeria is too bad for me,” he lamented.
Another tricycle operator, Anas Abubakar, at NNPC station in Nyanya told PREMIUM TIMES that there was no fuel in other stations in Nyanya except NNPC, Shema and A.A. Rano.
“I have been in this queue since 9. a.m. There is n
o fuel in other stations in Nyanya, only NNPC, Shema and AA Rano have. And A.A. Rano sells at N690, SHEMA at N680 while NNPC sells at N617,” he said.
NNPC speaks on scarcity
On Thursday, Olufemi Soneye, the chief corporate communications officer of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd), told PREMIUM TIMES that the challenge in the supply of petrol currently being experienced in some areas across the country is a result of logistics issues and they have been resolved.
He, however, urged Nigerians to avoid panic buying.
Mr Soneye said the issue had nothing to do with the NNPC as the company had enough stock of petroleum products.
“We have abundant products. It is just a transportation glitch. Some trucks are already loading from Lagos and are coming into Abuja. Everything should be back to normal hopefully by the end of today.
“You will see that all the trucks will start coming in. So there is nothing to be concerned about.
“I also wish to reiterate that the prices of petroleum products are not changing. I urge Nigerians to avoid panic buying as there is a sufficiency of products in the country,” he said.
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