There has been scarcity of Premium Motor Spirt (PMS) popularly known as petrol in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja as long queues were seen at most filling stations in the city, African News Today reports.
Motorists in FCT have had to spend several hours in the queue to buy petrol for their cars. The queues started on Tuesday, October 27 across the capital city and its environs.
Our correspondent who visited filling stations experienced long queue in most of them while some were totally shutdown.
Roadside sellers popularly known as black market sellers were seen by the roadside selling petrol at exorbitant prices while stranded motorists were forced to patronize them.
A manager in one of the stations along the Kubwa expressway in an exclusive interview with African News Today on the cause of the long queues said that it was induced by panic buying by people. He said that neither Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPEND) nor other regulatory bodies in the sector were on strike. `
Reacting to the development, a driver simply identified as Fred said he spent more than two hours in the queue but was yet to buy petrol.
He said, “The delay in buying petrol has delayed by appointment which I was rushing to meet up with. Unfortunately, I cannot proceed any further because my tank is almost empty. I don’t understand why one has to wait for such long hours to buy petrol which the government recently increase its pump price.”
The petrol stations, however, maintained the N158 per litre price.