Fuel scarcity has hit Lokoja and other parts of Kogi State, as motorists now queue for several hours to buy premium motor spirit, popularly called petrol.
DAILY POST gathered that some filling stations, which had sold fuel in the early hours of Monday, had to stop dispensing over fear of scarcity of the product.
It was further learnt by our correspondent that the scarcity of fuel in Lokoja and other parts of Kogi State had enabled black marketers to capitalize on the recent developments.
Currently, many filling stations are under lock and key as those that are having petrol are now hoarding it.
Black marketers are now selling petrol between N300 to 400 per litre depending on the location of the products.
Further findings revealed that the regulatory agency in charge of petroleum products in Kogi State has continued to remain silent to checkmate the activities of petroleum marketers who seize every opportunity to extort motorists.
Speaking on the recent development, some motorists told DAILY POST on Monday that things are getting out of hand as life is becoming unbearable in the country.
Abdullahi, who is returning to his base in Ayingba, said the present administration has continued to inflict suffering on the masses.
According to him, President Muhammadu Buhari should resign as Minister of Petroleum since he could not ensure the availability of petrol to ordinary Nigerians.
“Despite the assurance given by the government that there is no need for panic buying, we are now back to square one. This was not the way things used to be I must tell you. We are tired of this hardship. What is it? Is this what they promised us in 2015?
“What was the price of petrol before the present administration came on board? They keep deceiving us, giving us empty promises. I am boarding Lokoja to Ayingba now, the price has gone up. I won’t blame the drivers because some of them are buying from black marketers. We are waiting for them in the next election,” he said.
A passenger, who identified herself as Anifa, told DAILY POST that she was now stranded because what she budgeted to travel is no longer possible for her destination.
According to her, the regulatory agency in charge of petroleum products in Kogi State has been compromised, alleging that they have gone into sleep since they are getting their own cut from the petroleum marketers who are bus extorting their customers to gain more profit in the state.
Her words, “Without mincing words, the agency regulating petroleum in Kogi State has been compromised. We have heard time without number that they are collecting their own cut whenever these marketers are hoarding fuel or selling to black marketers in the night. Kogi State has never gotten worse since the present controller of DPR took over the mantle of leadership. His boss in the highest authority should call him to order or he should be sacked because he doesn’t know his work as a government agency in the state.”
