The protracted gasoline shortage grew worse yesterday in Lagos, Ogun, and other states as independent marketers began to remove the product from private depots at a rate of N780 per litre, up from N595 per litre, or a 31% increase.
The price increase, according to marketers, is a reflection of the product’s current supply and demand in the home market.
Public Relations Officer of IPMAN, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, who confirmed this in an interview with Vanguard, also expressed optimism that the bad situation could improve in the coming days.
Although independent marketers are still sourcing the product at a higher cost, Chief Ukadike observed that more trucks have left the depots in recent days and added that more marketers are able to load their trucks.
According to him, “NNPC has started releasing products to independent marketers. The queues you are seeing now are ghost queues. They appear in the morning but disappear in the afternoon or evening. It will continue like that until supply stabilizes in the coming days and becomes sufficient enough.
“You must also remember that we are in the rainy season and it takes some time for trucks to come up north. In a few days, I believe the situation will ease.”
Petrol distribution challenges, which have gone on for about six weeks have led to long queues at filling stations across the country with several marketers jerking up their pump prices.
Yesterday’s inspections throughout Abuja revealed that although there has been a slight reduction in lines at the stations surrounding the central area, tensions over supply still exist in other areas of the Federal Capital Territory.
Additionally, pump prices stayed high, ranging from N685 per litre at major marketers’ outlets to N950 per litre at stations run by independent marketers.
He said: “So we sell as we can buy and put up markups and margins to be able to make little profit. The transportation cost is a lot higher now. The product we normally bring in at N800,000 now costs N3.5 million because of the high cost of diesel and maintenance cost of the trucks.”
Before the anticipated release of gasoline from the refinery, he revealed that IPMAN is still waiting to meet with the Dangote Refinery management. He emphasized that independent marketers are committed to cutting out middlemen from their interactions with the refinery.
“We continue to wait for an invitation from Dangote to join them as one of the main participants in the downstream portion of the distribution chain for gas and oil. We will be one of their major off-takers. We are serious about the issue of third parties and that this is what IPMAN is trying to erase. Third parties’ involvement increases cost of the product and we don¡¯t want that to happen,” he added.
Scarcity worsens in Lagos, Ogun, others
According to checks, long fuel lines returned in many areas of Lagos, Ogun, and other states that had seen improvement in recent days, making conditions worse yesterday.
Many filling stations had lengthy lines, particularly the NNPC and large oil marketers’ locations, where the price per litre was approximately N568 while independent retailers charged between N900 and N950.
Transporters lament, raising fares by over 200%.
Subsequent investigations revealed that transportation costs had significantly increased, and drivers were charging commuters in Lagos, Ogun, and other states for the high cost.
The trip from Ikorodu to Victoria Island, Lagos, used to cost less than N2,000 prior to the shortage, but it now costs roughly N6,000.
Mr. Emmanuel Okonkwo, a Sienna bus driver who plies Lagos to Owerri said: “Naturally, the fuel scarcity is affecting our business negatively. Nowadays, there is no fixed fare for trips again, you fix what you like and the way it suits you to enable you remain in business. The worst aspect of it is that people are no longer traveling like before, hardly could one get full load in Toyota Sienna bus. If you are lucky to get full load, you should thank your star.
“In most cases you get four to five passengers and after all expenses, you discover that you are left with nothing to go home with. We are not finding it easy at all, because it takes a long time to get full load, departure and arrival time also have been affected. Drivers get to their destinations late as a result of queuing for fuel on the road.
“In most cases they have to sleep in any town before proceeding the next day due to fear of insecurity. In fact things are no longer the same.”
Another driver , who operates from Lagos to Port Harcourt, Mr. Eugene Eze noted that the scarcity was affecting their business because they queue all day to get fuel and at the end not having passengers on ground like before. He said that outside Lagos, fuel is sold at between N900 to N1,000, and this affects our profit.
He said: “We are working for nothing under the present fuel scarcity situation. The dilemma is that we can’t increase fares because passengers cannot afford the high fares.
“The danger is that we will be out of business if the fuel price continues the way it is. The vehicle maintenance is getting higher by the day and the option is to stop putting the vehicles on the road.
“Presently drivers spend a full day to search for fuel which they purchase at very high price. Our business is heading towards extinction. We are not even talking about extortion by local government officials and law enforcement agents on the road that collect toll fares from the transporters. It is very tough for us. He declared, “The government ought to hear our cries and assist us before we lose our jobs.
Published by Ejoh. caleb
