TheCable

The biting scarcity of premium motor spirit (PMS) commonly called petrol in the nation’s capital, Abuja, appears to be far from subsiding.

The scarcity of the product, which was caused by the five-day industrial action of the Petroleum and National Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN) and the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) is taking its toll on “ordinary” Nigerians.

About 6pm on Friday, a copious mass of tired workers lined up on major roads waiting for vehicles to take them to their destinations. Shylock commercial drivers cheaply capitalised on the situation and doubled their fares. Yet, waiting passengers jostled to board their vehicles. Until 9pm, the stark drama was still playing.

Yemi Akande, a civil servant who had been waiting to catch a cab to Nyanya, described the situation as hopeless.

“It is a hopeless situation. We are the ones suffering from the battle between the government and oil workers. Look at what is happening,” he said, poking the air as though he would punch an adversary.

“We are helpless. I have waited three hours to get a vehicle to Nyanya even at the doubled price, but the vehicles are not available.”

He partly blamed minister of the federal capital territory, Senator Bala Mohammed, for the tiring transport situation in Abuja.

“Mr Bala Mohammed also contributed to this problem. He banned commercial buses from entering the city centre. Now there are not enough buses to meet the transportation needs of the growing population of Abuja. Even if there was petrol, there are still very few commercial vehicles,” he said in an impassioned tone.

A sweeping investigation into the fount of the scarcity threw up the fact that major filling stations in the city did not have petrol.

At Total filling station Area 11 Junction, an attendant said petrol was unavailable, and that if it was available the filling station would not keep the product from consumers.

The same response came from an attendant at African Petroleum filling station at Maitama.

At Forte Oil filling station at Maitama, Ascon filling station at Wuse 2, Oando filling station at Wuse Zone 3, Rano filling station at Asokoro, NNPC filling station at Karu, the response of “no petrol” became a din chorus.

Petrol black marketers had a field day as patronage surged. One black marketer who said he was just doing brisk business owing to the scarcity disclosed to TheCable that a litre of petrol was sold for 250 on the black market.

“People are rushing to buy petrol from us. It is not our fault that there is no petrol. We have to do this business and get quick money,” he said, emptying the content of a gallon into the tank of a starving car.

Explaining how he gets the product when it is supposedly unavailable, he said: “Some of us have stored petrol waiting for a time like this. We also have special arrangements with some filling station attendants, so they give us the little that is available. We hustle to get the product. It is not easy.”

Nigeria’s oil workers suspended its strike on Friday after President Goodluck Jonathan intervened in the ruckus, raising hopes that the commodity would be available at fillings stations in a matter of days.