By Michael Eboh
ABUJA — Despite the assurances by stakeholders in the petroleum sector on the resolution of the crisis in the sector, fuel scarcity has persisted in Abuja with widespread sharp practices recorded across almost all the petrol stations.
ABUJA — Despite the assurances by stakeholders in the petroleum sector on the resolution of the crisis in the sector, fuel scarcity has persisted in Abuja with widespread sharp practices recorded across almost all the petrol stations.
Of note is the Nigerian National
Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, mega stations along the Kubwa Expressway, where
some officials of the outlet connived with some policemen and security agents
to frustrate motorists and heighten the suffering of Nigerians.
Impact of Fuel Scarcity in Abuja and
it environment. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan
Specifically, when Vanguard
visited the petrol station, some policemen stationed outside the entrance were
collecting N1,000 from some motorists and allowing them to enter into the
petrol station through the exit gate, thereby, leaving other motorists who had
queued for hours stranded.
Only 9 out of 40 pumps dispensing
Also, of the over 40 pumps in the
station, only about nine were dispensing to motorists. Two of the pumps were
selling to the hundreds of vehicles on the queue, while the rest were selling
to black marketers and other motorists who have bribed the officials of the
petrol station and policemen at the gate.
Spokesperson for the NNPC, Mr. Ohi
Alegbe and Managing Director of the NNPC Retail Limited, operators of the mega
stations and other NNPC retail outlets, Mr. Chris Osarumwense, refused to
respond to enquiries and complaints sent to them over the issue, even as the
situation continued late into the night at the petrol stations.
One of the motorists said he had
been on the queue since 5 am but was not yet halfway to the entrance of the
petrol station because of the sharp practices in the station.
Black marketers have field day
The source, who does not want his
name in print, said: “Some motorists and black market operators came through
the other side of the road, choosing not to queue, they drove straight to the
exit gate of the petrol station, where they offered N1,000 bribe to some
policemen, military men and the officials of the petrol station stationed at
the gate. The exit gate is then opened for these people to go in.
“As this is going on, people on the
queue remained on the spot for several hours, without any movement.”
Another motorist, who also chose to
remain anonymous, said: “The black marketers come mainly in Volkswagen Golf
cars, with extra tanks at the boot of the vehicles. After filling the tanks of
their vehicles, the attendants go ahead to fill the extra tanks at the back of
the vehicles. Sometimes, these tanks collect as much as 270 litres of
petroleum.
“These black marketers bribe
policemen and officials of the NNPC mega stations to the tune of N3,500 per
trip and this illicit act is not only happening here, but in other NNPC
stations across Abuja .”
The NNPC retail outlet along the
Abuja-Nyanya Expressway was selling at N120 per litre, while the NNPC station
at Zuba in Abuja were selling to motorists at between N100 and N120 per litre.
Black marketers continue to have a
field day even at the front of the NNPC headquarters in Abuja, and on the roads
leading to the office of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR.
Furthermore, most of the petrol
stations in Abuja were shut, while the few that were selling were besieged by a
large number of motorists.
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