…as transport fares skyrocket
Ben Ogbemudia, Abuja
Despite the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited’s assurance of availability of fuel supply, residents of Abuja, Nasarawa and other surrounding states have continued to groan over long fuel queues in filling stations.
Since last week, motorists in affected cities have lamented the pain of queueing for hours to get fuel.
This has been the situation across filling stations along Kubwa Expressway, Airport Road/Lugbe axis, and Nyanya-Jikwoyi road in the past few days.
While many filling stations sell fuel above N900 per liter, NNPCL retail stations sell for N617.
Consequently, some transporters in the nation’s capital have hiked transport fares.
A fare for a distance from Airport Junction to Kubwa increased to N700 from N500.
From Berger to Kubwa increased to N700 from N500, while from federal Secretariat to Kurudu is now 1000 instead of 500.
Joseph Eze, a resident of Abuja said the recurring fuel scarcity in Nigeria was frustrating.
“It is frustrating. We keep having scarcity in a country that produces crude oil. I have been in the queue for nearly 3 hours but have yet to get the product,” he lamented.
Rafiia said adding fuel queues to the economic hardship Nigerians were facing was uncalled for.
“Honestly, Nigerians may be pushed into the Kenya situation if the economic hardship continues unabated.
