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| Nigerians Struggle as Petrol Scarcity Worsens in Kaduna, Katsina, Kano |
As petrol scarcity intensifies across Nigeria, motorists in Kaduna, Kano, and Katsina States are facing exorbitant prices to obtain the now scarce commodity.
Reports from the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in these states reveal the harrowing experiences of innocent citizens.
NAN found that most major and independent marketers have closed their filling stations. The few that remain open have increased the price of petrol to between N800 and N1000 per liter, worsening the already dire situation.
Additionally, petrol black marketers, especially roadside fuel hawkers, are capitalizing on the scarcity, selling a 4-liter gallon for between N5000 and N6000.
Motorists interviewed by NAN expressed their frustration, stating, “We are very dismayed as this situation has negatively affected our activities.”
A civil servant, Salisu Baso, lamented that he now pays double the transport fare to reach his office at the Federal Secretariat in Kawo-Kaduna. “We don’t even know who is responsible now. Is it the government or the marketers? It is very unfortunate that they are just passing the buck. Urgent action is needed to address this situation that is jeopardizing socio-economic activities in the country,” Baso said.
Mrs. Franscisca Idika, a trader at the Chechnya market in Kaduna, noted that the lingering petrol scarcity and soaring prices have badly affected their businesses. “I have to pay more now to reach the market, and we just have to increase the prices of our wares to break even,” she said.
Reports from Kano and Katsina States also reveal similar disheartening situations, with higher prices and endless queues at the few operating filling stations.
Mr. Alao Jaremi, an IT expert in Katsina, called on the authorities to take urgent measures to ensure the availability of petrol across the country. “We need the government to swing into action and do the needful to alleviate the suffering of Nigerians,” Malam Ibrahim Dan-Musa told NAN in Kano.
As the scarcity persists, NNPCL and oil marketers have been shifting blame for the shortage. NNPCL insists that the long queues across Nigeria result from disruptions in ship-to-ship loading of petrol between Mother Vessels and Daughter Vessels, caused by a recent thunderstorm. The national oil company also cited adverse weather conditions affecting berthing at jetties and truck load-outs, disrupting supply logistics to filling stations.
However, marketers maintain that they are unable to access the NNPCL portal to place orders for the commodity.
