President Bola Ahmed Tinubu said the fuel subsidy ‘is gone’ 48 hours ago, and lines resumed at filling stations throughout Nigeria.
This has happened because black marketers have taken over the market, driving 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 nationwide shortage, with many petrol stations closing their doors to drivers.
Situation in states
On Tuesday, most gas stations in Lagos were closed, and the handful still pumping had enormous lines of drivers waiting to fill up.
Transport expenses have increased since drivers have practically quadrupled their fares due to the development.
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, most petrol stations in Abuja did not sell premium motor spirit (PMS) on Tuesday.
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 could not find fuel to purchase. They aren’t even making sales. I travelled to Shafa, MRS, and Mainland in Dutse and Dutse Express. Additionally, the filling stations in Kado and Jahi were empty.
The price of goods in Yenagoa, the capital of Bayelsa State, rose from N230 to N700 as illicit marketers took over the supply in the city.
Mrs Azeezat Adeyemi, a shopkeeper in Abeokuta, Ogun State, told Daily Trust that she had left her car at home and used taxis instead due to the gasoline crisis.
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, their neighbourhood began to be lined along Odota.
Sani Umar in Bauchi criticised President Tinubu’s declaration of removing subsidies without taking any concrete action to mitigate the effects, particularly the attitude of petrol stations.
