Difficult times are here again as the fuel situation in Akure the Ondo State capital gets worse as most filling stations were shut while crowds and with long queues dotted the few stations selling.
Correspondent John Ebiofini who went round the town observed that there was a chaotic situation at the filling stations visited as motorists, okada riders and others struggled to get fuel with attendants having a hectic time controlling the crowd.
Most of the filling stations claimed they had run out of supply amidst complaints they were hoarding the product.
The situation led to traffic jams as vehicles lined up the roads to buy fuel while commuters got stranded due to hikes in transport fares.
The usual fifty naira per drop was jacked up to one hundred naira as taxi drivers complained of not getting fuel to work.
In the Akoko area of the state, there was also a report of a hike in transport fare due to fuel scarcity.
The fare was increased from fifty naira to one hundred and fifty naira.
Speaking on this, Mr Edward from Erusu Akoko expressed worry that the artificial scarcity blamed on adulterated fuel import was placing a burden on Nigerians at this period of economic hardship.
Also speaking with Radio Nigeria, Mr Segun Afesojaye, however, blamed the petrol dealers for hoarding the product and Mr Lanre Adejoro said some filling stations sold at 250 naira per litre.
An okada rider, Mr Damilola Adedipe said he did not quite understand what exactly caused the present development.
Another motorist, Mr Collins Madu, however, advised the federal government to address the scarcity and save the citizens from unwarranted stress.
Some respondents, however, alleged that the scarcity was a ploy to force a price increase on the masses.
They then appealed to the federal government and other stakeholders to quickly intervene and not allow the country to be thrown into an inglorious past of perennial long queues at filling stations.
John Ebiofini
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