People in Anambra grumble because there isn't enough fuel. People trying to get around in Anambra State had a hard time getting where t...
People in Anambra grumble because there isn't enough fuel.
People trying to get around in Anambra State had a hard time getting where they needed to go because of a fuel shortage that hit major towns in the state on Wednesday. As a result, commercial transportation companies raised their prices by more than 100%.
This happened at the same time that the price of Premium Motor Spirit, which is also known as gasoline, went as high as N1,200 per liter on the black market. Drivers were buying in a hurry because most gas stations were closed and not giving out the product.
People all over the state complained about the growth, which caused a lot of trouble in the transportation and business sectors.
Even though the real cause of the fuel shortage couldn't be found right away, it was heard that a meeting of petroleum marketers from across the state was being held in Awka on Wednesday. This raised tensions because drivers and other people who use the product thought that the meeting might have been called to talk about raising the price at the pump.
It was said that most gas stations in the metropolis, including those in major cities like Onitsha, Nnewi, Ekwulobia, Nkpor, and Awka, had closed since Monday in preparation for the new price system, leaving only the black market to sell the product at very high prices.
As a result, many drivers raised their prices. A trip that used to cost N200 could now cost as much as N400, and one that used to cost N300 could now cost as much as N600. This caused many residents of the state who were caught off guard to start walking, and it also had some effect on business.
Chidi Okeke, who drives a commercial bus in Onitsha and is also the Secretary of the Bus Drivers Association, said, "I got the product this morning at Asaba for N700 per liter because no gas station has opened in Onitsha today. We heard that all the marketers are meeting somewhere, but we don't know if it's to talk about raising prices or something else.
"There isn't a gas station in Onitsha that sells gas, and the prices have gone up because of the black market. I went to Asaba to buy gas because of this. This is awful. We don't know what will happen tomorrow. If things stay the same, we'll have to park our cars because all the money we're making now is going to fuel.
Grace Oma, who lives in Nnewi and works for the government, said, "It's been hard to get a car today. The few cars that are still running have almost tripled their prices, which is strange. Yesterday, I gave N800 to Awka, but today they want almost N2,000."
But in response to this, the Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Mr. Chinedu Anyaso, who is in charge of the Enugu depot that serves six states, including Anambra, told the people not to worry.
Anyaso said that closing down gas stations wasn't done to hurt anyone or raise the price of gasoline at the pump, as was widely thought across the state. Instead, he said, it was done to make sure that all of its members went to an emergency general meeting in Awka.
He said, "The emergency meeting was to talk about the recent marking of about 16 gas stations in Ekwulobia so that a planned flyover could be built in the town.
"The Anambra State government plans to build a flyover and connect roads in the Ekwulobia axis area, which means that 16 gas stations will have to be torn down."Our members are ready to follow the rules, but the government needs to come to a compensation deal with them because the facilities are the only way the owners make money.
"We wrote to the Anambra State government about the change, but we haven't heard back yet. That's why the meeting was called: to talk about how to get more involved for the good of its members and the motoring public as a whole."