By Noah Ocheni, Lokoja
Motorists are presently facing a lot of hardship serious fuel scarcity hits Lokoja, the Kogi State capital as queue surfaces at various filling stations while some stations did not open for sale.
Some fuel stations spotted selling at the early hours of Wednesday hurriedly closed their stations upon receiving information that some independent marketers in Lokoja were not selling their products to customers for the reason best known to them.
It was reliably gathered that this development has led to the long queue experienced in some of the filing stations who open to sell for customers.
It was revealed that some independent marketers are now selling petrol within the range of N700 to N750 per litre which is above the official pump price.
Black marketers, however, have also capitalised on the scarcity of fuel as they are selling within N1000 to N1200 per litre.
One of the motorists, Mallam Musa Abu Musa who spoke to our correspondent while on the queue to purchase the product lamented that the scarcity is biting harder on the people and wondered why any nativity is synonymous with Kogi.
According to him, ” I just came back from the Eastern part of the Country and things are normal there. But when I came back to Lokoja yesterday, I discovered that many filing stations are not dispensing fuel.
” What could be the reasons for this scarcity? The cost of living is very high. Transportation has hit the roof. People are suffering, they are battling to feed and these heartless petrol dealers have come up with this afternoon hike of price”
Mallam Musa Abu Musa, a social activist therefore called on the President to something quickly before things gets out of hand.
“Rumours heard it that the price of fuel will soon go down as from May 2024 when Dangote refinery start refining premium motor spirit (fuel), I don’t know why this marketers are hoarding the product at this hour.” Musa frowns.
”I don’t know how true is this any way. The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA) should check the activities of petroleum marketers in Kogi State as they are afflicting pains on Citizens of the State”.
Efforts to reach the Kogi State Coordinator of NMDPRA, Engr. Ogbe Orits Godwin on this development proved abortive as at the time of filing this report.
