Date: 2017-02-03

Upon the speculation in the downstream oil sector of likely hike in the price of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol in the country, this medium yesterday observed that queues have resumed in few filling stations that were selling the product.

Along Asa Dam road, it was gathered that only NNPC Mega station and Emmanuel Akingbohun filling station were selling PMS.

Also, at Garin Alimi/Airport road, Sollamps fuel station and Total at Saw Mill area were the only stations dispensing the product during the visit. Speaking to motorists on queue, most of them alleged that marketers are hoarding the product on the speculation that the price per litre will increase from the official N145.

A customer, Obade Michael at the mega station said "I'm here to fill my tank because I'm travelling with my family to Kogi State for a programme. "I was surprised to see the queue because I was not expecting it and there was no indication during the day.

A taxi driver at Saw Mill area, Mallam Sulyman Wasiu said, "the queue just resurfaced this evening because I have been out on the road since morning. We are hearing that the marketers want to increase the price, that is why most of them are not selling and they have the product in their tanks.

"If they increase the price of the product, it will bounce back on us because our customers will kick against any plan to increase the price per drop."

Another commercial bus driver at Sollamps, Badmus Mohammed called on government regulatory body to take charge of the situation.

He said, "the marketers are short-changing us by under-dispensing the product to us. Some of them are ready to even sell the product to us by creating artificial scarcity.

Also Alhaji Shola Agunloye, a customer at Emmanuel station Asa Dam said government at the centre has failed the masses by not ensuring the availability of the product in various depots in the country.

He said, "look at the cost of gas and kerosene now. We can't continue to experience this high cost of living which does not commensurate with our wages. Once there is fuel crisis, everything in the market will shoot up again."

Agunloye called on government to promptly intervene for the survival of the masses.

Responding to the development, the state Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Abdulrasheed Olopade debunked the allegation of hoarding, saying the product is not available. He said, "we are finding it difficult to load fuel because the product is not available at the Federal depots. The private depots that have the product are selling to us at N142 per litre.

"We don't have the product available on ground since Ilorin, Ibadan, Mosimi, Ejigbo depots are not loading. Even at Apapa now, the product is not available.

According to him, the private depots are making use of the opportunity to manipulate marketers at different stages. Olopade said, "with the reality on ground, even if you have the product it will be difficult to sell at official rate because you will run at a loss completely.

An attempt to get the representative of Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Kwara State chapter, Adebayo Amosa to speak on the issue as it was observed that major filling stations like Total, Oando, MRS among others were dispensing the product at the time of filing this report, was not successful as his mobile phone was unreachable.