Petrol hits N300 per litre in Port Harcourt, environs

Following the decisions of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, to stop the distribution of Premium Motor Spirit, (PMS), otherwise known as Petrol, pump price of the product has hit N300 per litre in Port Harcourt and its environ.

Williams Akporeha, the president of NUPENG, said that the union’s decision to shut down operations after the Rivers State government declined to act on the union’s petition to intervene within seven days regarding allegations of extortion and the impounding of fuel tankers by security personnel in the state was what led to the hardship that fuel in the state has caused, which is spreading to neighboring states.

The situation has gotten worse as two factions of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, in the state have joined the disruption of fuel distribution as they argue over how to handle the difficulties tanker drivers face as numerous anti-illegal fuel security teams pursue fuel-filled tankers across the state.

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Even with a significant price increase, the majority of NNPC filling stations and its franchise companies on the East West Road and in some other regions, Total and other stations, were out of stock as of yesterday.

Some stations with PMS for sale have set their prices per litre between N240 and N300, which is higher than the N162 pump price.

Mr. Gilbert Gift, a Port Harcourt resident, expressed disappointment that petrol is currently hard to get by.

Gilbert pointed out that some stations were actually stockpiling the merchandise in order to sell it at a greater price when the situation got worse.

Distressed drivers and other fuel users in the long lines at the Port Harcourt Township NNPC Mega Station, one of the few locations dispensing petrol, yesterday appealed to the government and relevant authorities to address the induced price spike and product scarcity in the state and surroundings.