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A litre of petrol went for N400 from N145, depending on the source of supply in some states with the ripple effects on fares and prices of essential food items in major markets visited by Sunday Tribune correspondents.
The situation became more precarious on Saturday in several major cities and the Federal Caital Territory (FCT) Abuja, where the price of fuel ranged between NN300 and N500 per litre either in regular petrol stations or the black market.
Fuel scarcity bites harder in Kano, Ibadan, Osogbo, Enugu, Onitsha, others
In Kano, Ibadan, Enugu, Osogbo, Onitsha and many other major cities, the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit bit harder, as motorists queued up for hours at different but few filling stations selling the product, with most of the commercial motorists having to rely on black market operators.
Sunday Tribune findings showed that four litres of the product were sold for between N1,200 and 2,500 at some of the city centres, with transport fares rising to about 100 per cent in the commercial cities.
In Ibadan, a few of the petrol stations selling the product had devised a strategy of extorting motorists before they were allowed to enter the stations from the long queues or they were made to pay an extra charge depending on the quantity they bought.
Black marketers at the Sabo and Iwo Road axes of city, however, had a field day selling the product in different containers for between N400 and N500 per litre to motorists who could not endure the tortuous route of queueing for long hours.
In Kano, a few stations having the product were jam-packed with motorists numbering hundreds, a development that saw the black markets having a field day, as they displayed the product to motorists.
Hordes of people travelling for Christmas and New Year celebration, on Saturday, expressed frustration and anguish over the prices of fares, which they noted had gone beyond the reach of the common man.
As of press time, commuters heading for Lagos from Kano told Sunday Tribune that they were paying N11,000 as against the N7,500 fare before the fuel scarcity.
The fares from Kano to Enugu, Owerri, Asaba and Onitsha changed to between 10,000 and N10,500 as against N6,000 before the current scarcity.
A visit to some filling stations in Enugu, on Saturday, showed that a litre of petrol was sold between N250 and N300 instead of old price of N145 while a litre of diesel was pegged at N205 against the former price of N180.00. A litre of kerosine was sold at N200 instead of the old price of N180
It was also observed that many stations did not open for business at the weekend, making many people to go to long distance in search of the petroleum products.
Meanwhile, the high cost of fuel resulted into the increase in fares in the state, as transporters have also hiked their fares.
Sunday Tribune observed that taxi and mini-bus drivers charged N100 for short distance within the Enugu metropolis instead of N30 and N50 before the Yuletide.
Inter-state transport was, however, more costly as Enugu to Port-Harcourt which used to be N2,000, went for N2,700 and N3,000.
Fare from Enugu to Owerri and Umuahia in Imo and Abia states, respectively, had gone up to N1,500 against the old price of N900.
Reports from Nsukka, Agbani, Oji-River and Awgu also revealed that petroleum products were more costly in the towns as “black market” thrived.
15 petrol stations sealed off in Anambra
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), which came from Enugu State for monitoring and enforcing of the directive against the hoarding of the product in Anambra State, on Saturday, sealed off 15 stations that failed to comply with the directive.
The team, led by Daniel Atama, compelled marketers to sell the product at the government regulated price of N145 per litre.
The agency sealed off the 15 stations, including an NNPC mega station and another popular station, along Onitsha-Enugu expressway, Awka, for hoarding the product.
Despite the move by DPR, however, the scarcity in Awka, worsened on Saturday, as customers bought the product for prices between N300 and N350 per litre in few stations that sold the product.
Most stations in Awka and its environs had the product in their tanks, but refused to dispense, according to Mr. Chuks Ogokwe, a waiting customer at one of the stations.
Our correspondent, who went round Awka metropolis to ascertain situation of things, gathered further that the rise in fuel prices led to the increase in both intra and intercity transportation fares in the state.
Petrol stations shut down in Kaduna
The fuel scarcity worsened in Kaduna metropolis and its environs as most of the stations were shut, with petrol being sold for N250 in the black market.
Investigations by Sunday Tribune revealed that most of the stations were under lock and key, despite the assurances by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) that it had released 80 million litres of the product to cushion the effects of the scarcity.
It was learnt that the few stations that were opened to motorists sold the product above the official pump price of N145, selling for prices between N185, N195 and N250 respectively.
As a result of the scarcity, commuters had to wait for long hours before they could get buses and taxis to their destination, just as the few vehicles that were available raised their fares.
Meanwhile, the DPR in Kaduna State has maintained that it had sealed off up to 10 stations for violating directive not to hoard the product.
Speaking in an interview, the head of the DPR Downstream Monitoring and Operations, Yahaya Maishara, said it was not that “there wasn’t enough fuel that would satisfy the demands of Nigerians.”
“The common observations were hoarding and pump under-dispensing. Stations found hoarding were forced to open for sale and the ones under-dispensing were forced to repair or adjust accordingly.
“We realised that many were selling but hoarding was a major issue. We checked one tank and we discovered that it had 5,500 litres but they were not selling. The pump integrity was tampered with. We sealed the station.”
Anger, frustration in Ibadan over scarcity of fuel, high prices of food items
Traders and customers in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, expressed anger and frustration over the biting effects of the soaring prices of petroleum and food items in major markets visited by our correspondents.
At Molete and Bodija markets, the price of a bag of rice was between N14,500 and N16,000 depending on whether it was long or short grain, while a bag of beans went for N35,000 as against N30,000, a few days ago.
A similar increase affected the prices of live chicken and turkey, with the price ranging between N3,500 and N6,500 per chicken, just as a turkey was sold for between N12,000 and N15,000.
Mrs Lawal Yetunde, a chicken seller who expressed her concerns, said: “I understand why things are the way they are because of the fuel scarcity and recent economic recession, which we just exited. Market here is unusually very slow and it can be attributed to the fuel scarcity. People have been unable to move from their places down here to buy things that they will need to make this Christmas a thrilling one.”
Abdulsalam Suliyat said “market is bad. Fuel scarcity has affected everything. Things have never been this bad and expensive. Before, we got chicken for N800 or N950 but that has has now increased drastically to between N1,500 and N1,700. Broilers are now sold for N4,000/N4500; breeders are sold for N5,500. Few people are coming around to price chicken and turkey, but once they hear the price they will leave, because most people cannot afford the price that we sell them,” she lamented.
Last-minute Christmas shopping in Lagos
The usual last-minute Christmas shopping common with Lagosians was, on Saturday, badly affected as a result of fuel scarcity and long traffic caused by vehicles queuing for fuel.
Though many traders and buyers could still be seen at some of the major markets selling and buying products, mostly food items, many Lagosians complained that things were not the same with the fuel scarcity situation.
At Mile 12 market, there was rowdy session with many persons seen rushing to do last minutes shopping for Christmas.
A basket of tomatoes, which used to sell for N5,000 sold for N10,000 while a basket of pepper which used to sell for N3,000 sold for N7,000.
Chicken, which used to sell for between N2,000 to N4,000 depending on the size, on Saturday, sold for between N4,000 and N7,000.
A bag of foreign rice sold for N18,000 while the Lagos Lake rice sold for N12,500.
Prices of foodstuffs soar in Kano
Sunday Tribune findings in Kano, on Saturday, showed that the prices of foodstuffs, chicken and rams had gone up.
Unlike last year, when an average chicken sold for between N1,200 and N1,500 at the Abubakar Rimi Market, an average chicken sold for between N2,000 and N2,500 on Saturday.
A price of a bag of brands of rice such as Royal Kings, Royal Princess, Cap Rice, Mama Africa and Royal Stallion sold for N18,000 and N18,500 in Warri and environs, a huge difference from what obtained a week earlier.
A bag of beans is sold for N21,000, (for big seed), while that of small seed is sold for N20,000
Chicken is sold for N3,000 (old layer) N3,500 for bowler, cockerel N4,000 and carton of chicken goes or N12,000.
Prices of goods soar in Ile-Ife
As the Yuletide celebration approaches, prices of goods and services soared in major markets in Ile-Ife, Osun State.
A market survey conducted by the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Saturday, in Ile-Ife, showed that the hike is caused by high cost of transportation occasioned by the ongoing fuel scarcity across the country.
Mrs Munirat Salami at Fowobake Market, expressed dissatisfaction with the level of sales this season, attributing the low patronage to the economy, saying it had taken a negative turn on consumers.
“The increase in the prices of foodstuffs is a tradition in every Yuletide, but people still buy what they need if money is available.
“But now things are hard, traders spend a lot of money on transport and after sales, we make little profits,” she lamented.
Salami told NAN that the prices of five tubers of yam range from N1, 200 to N3, 500, which was between N2, 500 to N800 earlier.
Abuja to Ibadan, Lagos now N10, 000, travellers stranded
Thousands of travellers were, again, stranded on Saturday, in Abuja, as transport fares from Abuja to Ibadan and Lagos State respectively had been hiked to N10, 000.
A visit to some of the motor parks within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, especially popular ones like Jabi; Gwagwalada and Giri junction and Air-Port road, where travellers from Abuja to anywhere in the Southern part of the country normally got vehicles, hundreds of travellers were seen with their luggage lamenting bitterly over the situation.
Sunday Tribune findings showed that from Welcome to Abuja down to Gwagwalada, about 40 minutes drive, the whole places were flooded with travellers looking for vehicles with lesser prices.
This, according to one of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) members, was as a result of fuel scarcity.
“Many of our buses are still at the filling stations as I am speaking with you now. They went to queue and there is no way those who bought black market will now be running the businesses at a loss. Any drop from here in Abuja to Akure is N7, 000 as against N3, 000 before the fuel scarcity.
“Before this scarcity, Abuja to Ibadan and Lagos is less than N5, 000, and if you don’t want to use the motor park, you need to stand by the road side, and that one is just between N2, 000 and N3, 000. So, the situation is so pathetic and we can’t help the situation,” the motorist lamented.
Some of the travellers, Godwin Okwonko; Tunde Adeogun; Samuel Sunday; as well as Magdalene Idoma and Adekunle Bakare, who spoke with Sunday Tribune said if they were unable to get N5, 000, they might shelve their trip till the first week in 2018.
However, in a telephone interview, the Group General Manager (GGM), Group Public Affairs of the NNPC, Mr. Udu Ughamadu, said the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the corporation, Dr Maikanti Baru, had directed that all NNPC retail stations should always open for business with a view to curtailing the situation.
He lamented that Tanker Driver Association and National Association of Road Transport (NARTO) have confirmed that their members were diverting the product to unknown locations.
Mr. Ughamadu, who said the NNPC refineries have hit up their productions so as to ensure availability of the product before, during and after festive period, added that security operatives were cooperating with the corporation to monitor and bring normalcy to the sector.
Travellers, motorists, others stranded in Osogbo
The pains and anguish caused by the acute scarcity of petroleum in Osogbo, the Osun State capital, increased on Saturday, as only the NNPC mega station sold fuel to motorists on a long queue.
Other petrol stations owned by independent marketers were under lock and key as most people travelling outside Osogbo were stranded, with some of them waiting by the roadside to get vehicles to their various destinations.
Attendants at the NNPC mega station, located along the Ring Road area of Osogbo were dispensing fuel to motorists and commercial motorcyclists at the rate of N143 per litre, but the queues, which were in two lines were long and it caused traffic gridlock on the stretch of the dual carriage way.
However, operators of the black market, were making brisk business as 10 litres of jerry can was sold for N2,800.
Pain, anguish in Delta over fuel scarcity
It was a weekend of more pains and anguish- trademarks of the ongoing harsh fuel crisis in Delta State – as prices of petrol, where found, remained hiked.
Commuters, most hit being Christmas festive season, were, on Saturday, milling around roadsides and motor parks in search of how to reach their destinations to felicitate with their families.
At Warri-Benin expressway from Effurun roundabout, stranded commuters littered the roadsides and Parks, with few vehicles plying the route.
Most fuel stations across Warri and environs still sold petrol for N220, to 250 for a litre, but at night to black marketers in order to garner more gains.
At Agbaro, a suburb of Warri, few fuel stations sold a litre for N170, while black marketers sell a litre for between N310, to M350.
Some commuters, who spoke to Sunday Tribune on Saturday, lamented the hike in transport fares, which has gone double and triple in some cases within the state and inter-state.
Shuttle buses and tricycle operators in Warri metropolis get fuel sustenance more from black marketers, as the burden is transferred to commuters.
Meanwhile, travellers at the Osubi Airstrip, were seen stranded as most flight schedules were cancelled due to bad weather and not lack of aviation fuel.
Some few travellers at the airstrip were seen waiting perhaps against hope that the weather would be declared safe to fly.
Flight tickets soar as Abuja airport records heavy passenger traffic
Many airlines operating domestic routes in Nigeria, hiked air fares due to the volume of traffic of passengers travelling for the Christmas celebration, the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reported.
A NAN survey, which began on December 21, revealed that many airlines were making bumper sales from the number of tickets sold even as heavy queues filled the airport lobby.
When NAN visited the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, very long queues were seen at the booking stands of all the airlines.
The Station Manager of Azman Air, Mr Abdulahi Saroke, told NAN that tickets to Lagos which were sold between N25,000 and N30,000, had risen to N60,000 to N70,000, for economy and business class respectively.
“On the price of tickets, it is now sold between N30, 000 and N59, 000 for economy and between N90, 000 and N120, 000 for business class to Lagos.
“The price rose since Thursday (Dec. 21) but passengers paying now are paying higher while passengers that booked before now will still enjoy the initial rates.
“As at today, the lowest ticket price is N30, 000 on any route while the highest on economy is N59,000.
“Traffic was more yesterday (Dec. 22) due to the crisis at Arik when its crew and staff embarked on strike for a few hours,” he said.
He added that the bulk of passengers had travelled between December 21 and December 22, therefore, Saturday traffic would not be as high as previous days.
On why the sudden arbitrary increase in the price of air tickets, Saroke described the increase as “normal’’ in festive seasons.
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