Fuel Scarcity: Motorists spend the night at filling stations

Many motorists on Tuesday spent the night at filling stations queuing for petrol in in Jos, Plateau state capital.

A NAN correspondent monitoring the fuel supply situation in Jos said there were long queues at NNPC and Mobil stations where the product is being sold at the N145 regulated price.

There were minimum queues at other independent marketer’s stations selling at N190 a litre.

An official at one of the filling stations selling fuel, who preferred anonymity, said as of 7am, at least 80 motorists were in queue at the station, waiting for the commencement of sales.

“We have issued over 76 motorists with the stations stamped and numbered tickets to access the station as soon as we open sales,” he told NAN.

NNPC mega station on Murtala Muhhamad Way was besieged by motorists who queued for about one kilometre from the station.

Dadel Mangut, a motorist on the queue, said he did not mind the wait as the queue moved fast.

“Other stations sell-off their fuel to black marketers at night where a gallon of petrol now sells at N1, 200,” he said.

“They see this as an opportunity to make money for the Christmas season.”

Bagas Samuel, another motorist at Mobil, told NAN that a lot of people slept in the queue to ensure they got fuel at the right price.

Ceaser Douglas, operations controller, Jos office of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), however, said the situation would soon return to normal as stations have started receiving supply.

He said that sales were going on in an orderly manner at stations that he supervised just this morning.