President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said that the fuel subsidy ‘is gone’ 48 hours ago, thereafter, lines had resumed at filling stations all throughout Nigeria.
This has happened right as black marketers have taken over the market and driven up the cost of petrol to almost N700 per litre in some regions of the nation.
“We commend the decision of the outgoing administration in phasing out the petrol subsidy regime, which has increasingly favoured the rich more than the poor,” said Tinubu on Monday in support of the decision of the recently-expired administration to terminate fuel subsidies.
However, the statement immediately caused a shortage across the nation, with many petrol stations closing their doors to drivers.
Situation in states
On Tuesday, most gas stations in Lagos were closed, and the handful that was still pumping had enormous lines of drivers waiting to fill up.
Since drivers have practically quadrupled their fares as a result of the development, transport expenses have increased.
One local grumbled about paying N1,500 for a trip that should have cost no more than N700 from Iyana Ipaja to Arepo.
Along the Mile 2 – Badagry motorway, filling stations in various areas of Lagos city currently sell for between N500 and N600.
The few NNPC-owned petrol outlets that offered their product at N180 per litre on Tuesday morning ran out of stock at about 9am.
Even though there was a big queue at these filling stations, the prices for certain major marketers who still had petrol remained at N195 per litre.
Stations locked in Abuja
According to the Daily Trust, the majority of petrol stations in Abuja on Tuesday didn’t sell premium motor spirit (PMS).
As he travelled throughout the city, our journalist noticed that several petrol stations had shut their doors in Kubwa, Kado, and Jabi. Despite not dispensing, there were lines at the filling stations.
Long-faced driver Stephen Ojunta said: “Today, I visited about six petrol stations, but I was unable to find fuel to purchase. They aren’t even making sales. I travelled to Shafa, MRS, and Mainland in Dutse as well as Dutse Express. Additionally empty were the filling stations in Kado and Jahi.
The price in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, rose from N230 to N700 as illicit marketers took over the supply of the goods in the city.
Mrs Azeezat Adeyemi, a shopkeeper in Abeokuta, Ogun State, told Daily Trust that as a result of the gasoline crisis, she had left her car at home and used taxis instead.
On Tuesday, the people of Ilorin, Kwara State, bemoaned the sudden decision of several oil marketers to close their petrol outlets.
One of them, Daniel, claimed that on Monday, when some gas stations abruptly closed for business, there began to be lined in their neighbourhood along Odota.
Sani Umar in Bauchi criticised President Tinubu’s declaration of the elimination of subsidies without taking any concrete action to mitigate the effects, particularly the attitude of petrol stations.
