As the scarcity of fuel intensifies across the country, consumers have appealed to the relevant authorities to monitor and halt the activities of petrol pump attendants in Cross River State in southern Nigeria.
The consumers, who made the call during separate interviews with Voice of Nigeria in Calabar, said the quest by some pump attendants to make extra money despite the high cost of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS was worrisome.
The city of Calabar started experiencing its share of petroleum products scarcity three weeks ago, a situation, which took residents by surprise as all but a few filling stations within the state capital closed to the public simultaneously.
Besides, the Nigerian Government’s owned NNPC filling station along the Murtala Muhammed Highway, and a few major marketers as well as independent marketers like North-West Oil and Gas Limited and Dozzy Oil sold PMS at the regulated price, while others are selling for 195 Naira per litre and above.
Alleviate sufferings
The consumers, who are lamented the hardship due to the hike in the cost of transportation and the high cost of petrol, have urged the authorities to intervene and alleviate their sufferings.
An Uber driver, Mr. Nso Takim said, “I bought petrol at one small filling station around 8 miles axis and because I wanted to buy for 7,000 naira, the pump attendant told me to pay 200 naira extra for anything above 3,000 naira, which I did anyway.”
Another consumer on the queue, Mrs. Martha Archibong stated, “I have been on this queue for more than 3 hours. The pump attendants were busy putting petrol in gallons for their boys to rush and sell to any driver, who cannot wait in line. They sold 20 litres for 5,000 naira.
“This filling station is selling petrol at 195 naira already. The government should check these activities because we are suffering,” she lamented.
A visit to some of the fuel stations revealed that the claims of the consumers were true and the attempt to speak with the managers of those places did not yield positive results.
Regulatory agencies
In an interview, the Cross River State Commissioner for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Itaya Asuquo said that the scarcity, which was occasioned by the crisis between Russia and Ukraine as well as the previous importation of adulterated PMS, would soon be over.
Dr. Asuquo said “the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Mr. Timipreye Silva said that about 1.9 billion litres of fuel has been brought into Nigeria. So, if we go by that information, it means we have enough fuel. With the volume of petroleum product we have available, we are hoping that the problem would be resolved.”
The commissioner stated that the situation in Cross River State was compounded by the actions of tank farm owner, who were hoarding petroleum products and selling at exorbitant prices to independent marketers with no other option than to sell the products to break even.
He, however, explained “ what my ministry is doing in collaboration with the Special Adviser Petroleum Resources is to have the taskforce sensitise the public and visit tank farm companies including fuel stations to do what they can to ensure PMS is available and sold at the approved regulated pump price.
“So, my message to the people is that they should be patient and avoid panic buying because we have enough petroleum products in the country and everything will be better very soon,” he added.
Dominica Nwabufo
