The current grueling fuel situation in Delta State began on Sunday night in Warri after the screaming headlines on pages of national dailies emerged to the effect that PENGASSAN was embarking on strike ahead of Christmas.
The ugly fuel situation became visible in Warri on Monday morning as a litre of petrol hurriedly oscillated between N160 and N180 in few fuel stations. Much panic followed the development as transporters began to jack up their fares.
But things were different in Ughelli, Kwale and Asaba where there was absence of queues in fuel stations and commuters had no qualms getting to their destinations.
Checks on Thursday in parts of Delta, however, especially in Warri axis, revealed that the fuel scarcity situation has gotten to an acute stage.
Swells of commuters were seen milling around and frantically finding their way to their destinations amid over 100 hike in transport fare in some cases.
Transport fare from Warri to Ibadan has upped from N4,000 to N5,000 and above, amid few transporters who could come by petrol.
Intra-transport fares have not fared better as commuters are forced to pay through their noses to cover short distances.
For instance, from Effurun Roundabout to NPA, which usually went for N100 on shuttle buses now goes for N200.
Checks by our correspondent in Delta also revealed that fuel stations along Warri/Sapele road, such as Mobil, MRS, Oando, Conoil, Ziok limited, Forte Oil and Total are under lock and keys.
The situation has therefore given usual sudden to black marketers who, it was gathered, get purchase of the product from fuel stations in the midnight.
So, black marketers littering the Warri/Sapele federal road close to aforementioned fuel stations are selling a litre of petrol ranging from N300, N320, to N350.
Same scenerio, as gathered, is fast playing out in other parts of the state such as Sapele, Ughelli, Oghara, Agbor, Oleh, Abraka among others.
Tricyclists and shuttle buses are their major customers who, in-turn, unleash the inconveniences on hapless commuters.
As a result, costs of foodstuffs such as rice, vegetable oil, chickens, turkey, beef, as well as clothing materials had gone up drastically.
Besides, commuters, who bear the brunt of the fuel scarcity vis a vis the Christmas festivity, literally littered major federal roadsides along Warri – Benin, Asaba – Benin and Ughelli – Port Harcourt waiting for cheaper transport fares from transporters.
As of 2:00 p.m Thursday, many commuters expressed frustrations at what had suddenly befallen the nation few days to the 2017 Christmas festivity.
Ejiro Stanley, who set out for Lagos hanging by Warri – Benin express road expressed anguish and pain after spending over six hours beside the army checkpoint waiting for a lift or cheap fare.
“I’m frustrated. I have been standing here since 6:00a.m thinking respite will come my way. I can’t afford the fare slammed on me at the motor park. It’s too exorbitant. How much is my allawee,” the youth corps member stated.
A tricycle rider also noted in pidgin that black marketers had taken over from fuel stations.
“My Oga, no vex for the price I give you. No be ma fault, na black marketers. I buy a litre for N320 this morning from them as fuel station no gree sell,” he enthused.
Meanwhile, the public relations officer of the Department for Petroleum Regulation (DPR), Mr Godday Agusa, did not acknowledge calls put to his mobile line as of the time of filing the report, hence the effort of the pricing regulatory body to monitor fuel marketers could not be ascertained.
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