Despite statement by Federal Government earlier this week on the eve of NLC’s threatened nationwide rally, that she has postponed the removal of subsidy from fuel to 18 months, the resultant scarcity in anticipation of the removal, is yet to clear.
NLC that shelved its nationwide rally, scheduled for January 27th based on FG’s statement, is yet to issue any statement to Nigerian workers on this lingering situation.
Some workers we spoke with, said that if this scarcity persists, they will not waste their January salary commuting to work. The transport fare of N200 from Federal Housing under bridge Kubwa to Wuse-Berger, is now 250-300 Naira and 300-500 Naira at night for return.
A kabukabu driver we interacted with, blamed the increase on the scarcity. He queried why workers and commuters will want fares to remain the same when they the drivers have to spend hours on queues, make lesser trips and some cases, have to buy from black market operators.
The cost of 10 litters of fuel is between 300-3500 on Kubwa road. This fluctuates depending on the hour of the day.
We saw these black market vendors in front of Gegu filling station at Dutse Junction, Kubwa Express. (We did not buy but merely haggled price with them and zoomed off. It is against our policy to encourage this scarcity by patronizing black market or shunting.)
It should worry Nigerians that a filling station will not have fuel, yet these vendors have it in abundance and have the audacity to sell in front of a filling station.
A passenger under the pedestrian bridge we spoke with, said that the fuel attendants sell to these black market vendors at rates above official price of 162-165 at night or very early in the morning and tell motorists that fuel has finished.
He appealed to the government to conduct surprise checks on these filling stations and dispense free any fuel found inside the tanks of any filing station that claims it has no fuel to sell.
Fuel Scarcity Persists On Kubwa Express
