Fuel queues have reappeared in Lagos as many filling stations ran out of stock, leading to closures and long lines at the few stations still dispensing fuel.
Checks on Sunday revealed that most filling stations along Ikorodu Road were not selling fuel. However, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL) and NIPCO stations at Fadeyi Bus-Stop had long queues.
In other areas like Bank Anthony, only Total, Northwest, and NNPCL stations were open, each with lengthy lines, while the Mobil station at Salami Shaibu in Somolu Metropolis closed due to chaotic scenes caused by commercial vehicles.
Illegal fuel hawkers were also spotted along Ikorodu Road, Maryland, Gbagada, and Ogba, taking advantage of the situation.
Some marketers, speaking under anonymity, attributed the supply issues to the inability of NNPC Ltd. to pay importers since March, alleging that NNPCL, as the sole importer, was responsible for the scarcity.
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“Some petrol stations that dispensed fuel sold it at prices ranging from N618 to N800 per litre, depending on the area, leading to an increase in transport costs,” Edwin said.
Chuks Edwin, a banker, told NAN that the scarcity had caused persistent traffic jams around fuel stations on Ikorodu Road and in Ikeja, with motorists queuing for hours to refuel at the few stations still dispensing fuel.
Edwin noted that the queues had been growing since last Wednesday and urged the government to address the issue to ease the movement of workers and residents in Lagos.
“Some petrol stations that dispensed fuel sold it at prices ranging from N618 to N800 per litre, depending on the area, leading to an increase in transport costs,” Edwin said.
Jimoh Saka, a bus driver at the Ileja Bus Stop in Bariga, lamented the struggle to obtain fuel, justifying the fare hike from N200 to N300 for trips from Bariga to Onipan.
“The increase in transport costs is not our fault. We sleep at petrol stations just to buy fuel and continue our business. Things are hard, and people should understand it is not our fault,” Saka explained.
Another driver, Gbenga Saliu, expressed frustration over the stress of waiting in long queues, stating, “It’s seriously stressful.”
“If you’re not patient in the queue, you end up buying from the black market at over N1,200 per litre or from some stations that sell at N800 or N700 per litre,” he added.
READ ALSO: Oil marketers explain reason for fuel scarcity
Meanwhile, Mr Olufemi Soneye, Chief Corporate Communications Officer of NNPC Ltd., clarified in a statement on Sunday that the company was not owing international oil traders $6.8 billion, as some media reports have claimed.
Soneye explained that in the oil trading business, transactions were often carried out on credit, and it is common to owe at times.
He emphasised that NNPC Ltd. had been fulfilling its obligations, paying invoices on a first-in-first-out (FIFO) basis.
He also refuted claims that NNPC Ltd. had not remitted any money to the Federation Account since January, stating that the company and its subsidiaries regularly remit taxes to the Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS).