By Cleopatra Eki

   Queues of vehicles have suddenly began to rear its ugly head at different filling stations in Lagos State. Some of them were Mobil, MRS, Capital, Fagbems, Enyo, Total, Energies, Forte and NNPC stations.

   Nigerians are currently paying high price as the fuel scarcity hit many cities in the country. Although the official price of petroleum in Nigeria is still fixed price at N165k per litre.

    Most independent fuel stations were shut, while the few that opened for business has long queues of commercial drivers, motorcyclists and jerry can-carrying individuals who need fuel to run their machines and businesses.

    The development on Monday June 20 , 2022 led to fuel scarcity in Lagos and other cities, as commuters were left stranded across the state due to non -availability of commercial vehicles.

   The Scoper Media witnessed long queues at several filling stations.Observed in Forte Oil filling stations Victoria Gardens City Lekki has hundreds of motorists besieged the filling station that dispensed petrol at there spending hours on queues in a bid to buy petrol, while other motorists blocked the road despite the Ajah road construction..

   Another visit to Con Oil filling Station Badore, Enyo , Oando filling stations within the Lekki environs were not left out with some crowds of stranded car owners and e-hailing drivers looking for fuel to do their daily business and runs.

   Black oil marketers and area boys are making brisk business by different filling stations. However, there were numerous cars, buses, vehicles parked at outside the stations.

   Though there were products at these filling stations, which also sold at N165/litre, motorists struggled to get petrol with which to run their economic lives.

    Speaking to a passenger and trader, Mr Joshua Obi, said he took” Marwa motorcycle “from Badore to Ajah Jubilee bridge which is usually N150 – N500 now.

   While a teacher who works at an lnternational schools said she spend N400 – N1000 from Ajah – Victoria lsland Lagos. Another worker Georgina who works at CSM but lives in Berger spend N2000- instead of N1000 to her office.

   As the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) recently said that its members were not on strike despite the fuel scarcity that has hit Lagos and some parts of the country.

   Following the reports of the Lagos Zonal Chairman IPMAN, Akin Akinrinade explaining that its members have not been operating optimally because of the hostile operating environment.

   “Members of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria IPMAN have shut down their stations, not because we are striking; we are not on strike,” Akinrinade said.

   “The business environment has been very hostile to us such that we can no longer do business under this condition. For you to load a litre of petrol, you pay in N162 per litre,” he added.

   Akinrinade said that it was no longer feasible to sell the product at the recommended price of N165 to a litre, adding that the landing cost of petrol was between N175 to N178 naira to the litre.

   “Our members can no longer sell (petrol) at N165 per litre; in fact, there is no reasonable person in this business that can sell below N180 per litre, so it is not as if we are on strike,” he concluded.

   Oil marketers blamed the development on the drop in supply, stating that the demand for petrol was currently higher than what was being provided by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited.

    Report has that the long queue at fuel stations caused heavy traffic on various parts of Lagos, Ikoyi, Lekki, Sangotedo, lbeju- Lekki, Airport Road, Oshodi , Ejigbo, Egbeda and lgando and many people resorted to trekkiing to their destinations.