The nationwide fuel scarcity is biting hard on motorists and commuters in Bayelsa State as the long queues in petrol stations continued for the third day on Friday, February 18.
The scarcity has led to a spike in the pump price of the product, which has in turn increased the cost of transportation and other daily goods and services.
Economic activities are also affected as residents spend most of their productive hours queuing at the petrol stations.
As at Friday, a litre of fuel was sold for N220, N300 and N310 in filling stations, except the NNPC Mega station along Sani Abacha road, where the pump price remains N165 but with the longest queue.
In an interview with some tricycle riders, popularly known as ‘Keke’, at the NNPC Mega station, they explained that it has badly affected their business and called on the government to salvage the situation before it gets out of hand.
A tricycle rider said “I don’t understand what is going on in this country, why can’t they supply fuel? Is it because they are trying to stop the bad fuel that was in circulation? This is terrible. Since morning I have been here, I know what I would have gotten today if not for this. Government needs to do something fast.”
Another tricycle rider said “I am tired of this country, everyday one challenge or the other. My wife just put to bed and I am here waiting for my turn to get fuel. Throughout yesterday I didn’t work because I couldn’t get fuel, other petrol station pump prices are too expensive, I can’t go there. Government should try and help us”.
Meanwhile, some petrol stations in Yenagoa have been closed for some days due to the unavailability of fuel.
A pump attendant at Ereboter Oil, along Isaac Boro expressway, said they are closed due to shortage in supply of fuel.
“We don’t have fuel to sell that’s why we didn’t open. The last time we sold fuel was yesterday”.
When asked how much the pump price was, she said “we sold yesterday for N215 per litre before we were completely sold out”.
Also, some residents have lamented the hike of transportation while calling on the government to save them.
A resident of Kpansia community in Yenagoa, Goodnews Jacob, said “transportation is increasing, where I pay 200 to, is now 250, extra N50 is added to long-distance journey while N20 to nearby journey. If nothing is done now, it will increase more than it is already. Let the government do something now before things get worse for common men like us.”
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