Lokoja flood: Why we’re not mulling alternative routes ― IPMAN

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), on Tuesday, said it is not considering alternative routes for the distribution of petroleum products to the North due to extra cost.

For some time now, fuel queues have resurfaced in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and its environ, development authorities blamed on the massive flooding in Lokoja, Kogi State.

Most houses and properties were submerged, making it almost impossible for fuel tankers and other vehicles to pass through.

Considering the development, stakeholders suggested the need for marketers to consider alternative routes, as a way to deliver products to their various destinations up North.

But, IPMAN Spokesperson, Mr Chinedu Ukadike, said taking alternative routes would cost more in terms of logistics which are not covered under the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF).

According to him, for such a journey, “you must have four drums of diesel but by the time it finally gets to the North and fuel marketers say they want to sell at N300, the people will react because all these costs are not reflected in our PEF.” So who is going to bear the cost?” he queried.

He reminded that already, the situation was taking its toll on marketers who are now forced to provide feeding and security for drivers stuck.

“For us, the situation is choking. Some of our trucks have been on the road for like two weeks and we are feeding them, providing security. There is no alternative,” he said.

He, however, assured that products were available except for the flooding that had hindered the movement of tankers.

“There are products. If you go to Port Harcourt private depots and Calabar, there are products but the only problem we have is the problem of logistics, moving products from dry areas to wet areas. It is not that the products are not there, they are there but that Lokoja is the gateway to the North.

Meanwhile, checks round FCT city centres and environs revealed that most filling stations have now adjusted their petrol pump price from N170 to between N250 and N300.

For instance, within the Mararaba/Nyanya axis, majority of the filling stations do not have products while those selling have increased their pump prices to N250 with long queues.

Also, the A.A. Rano filling station located at the checkpoint between Mararaba and Nyanya, has been taken over by black marketers as jerricans of fuel were seen littering the entire arena with the vendors scouting for customers even as vehicles slow down ostensibly to refill their empty tanks.

The black-marketers sell between N300 and N350 per litre of PMS.

One of the vendors told Nigerian Tribune that at Oando in One-Man Village where he bought fuel, pump price was increased to N200 and has to pay N1000 to the petrol attendant for each of the 25 litres of jerrican filled.

As a result of the scarcity, motorists have also increased transport fares by N100. For a journey of N200, passengers are now forced to pay N300 and N400 respectively for those coming into the capital city from Nyanya and some other satellite towns in Abuja.

Similarly, in Kubwa, fuel queues have continued to grow longer as many petrol stations shut down operations, while prices of transport increased drastically.

Usually, workers who live in Kubwa but work around the Federal Secretariat pay about N250 to N300 to get to their workplace, but on Tuesday, Nigerian Tribune learnt that the price has increased to N400.

Some petrol stations in Kubwa who sold products like Total, NNPC sold fuel but experienced long queues.

As of Monday, it was learnt that 10 litres Jerrycan of fuel from black marketers sold at N4500 away from the N1,650 it was sold before the fuel scarcity.

Also, transport fee for motorbikes around Kubwa increased by N50 to N100 which has left passengers stranded.

Ifeanyi Philip, a resident of Kubwa said before the scarcity, he would normally spend N550 daily, but on Monday, this increased to N800.

In the same vein, Aliyu Umar who is a motorist lamented that before he gets fuel to work for the day, he spends about 5 hours to 7 hours, which he said affects the price of his services.

A private worker, whose office is at Wuse Zone 3 in Abuja, Sophia Audu lamented that if her office did not provide succour to the present situation, a day might come when she has to stay at home without going to work.

Tribune Online also observed gridlocks in some parts due to traffic gridlock occasioned by long fuel queues.

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Lokoja flood: Why we’re not mulling alternative routes ― IPMAN

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Lokoja flood: Why we’re not mulling alternative routes ― IPMAN

Lokoja flood: Why we’re not mulling alternative routes ― IPMAN