By Ikugbadi Oluwasegun
“….Fuel Subsidy is gone and it is gone forever.” These were the words of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on May 29th 2023. 18 months after, fuel Scarcity is back across major states in Nigeria. The demand for fuel products has surpassed the supply of fuel products, which has led to artificial fuel scarcity in Nigeria for over 2 weeks, and nobody has been able to give us a reasonable explanation as to why we have long queues and much struggle to get fuel above the set price across Nigeria.
It appears that the honourable minister of petroleum has ran out of idea on how to effectively allow the invisible hands determine the price of the product. Or Could it be that there’s a hidden agenda in the price regulation scheme?
The major marketers like NNPC, Total Energies, Oando Plc, etc are not selling fuel. While non government marketers sell at unregulated prices.
On Thursday 16th of August, 2024, I got fuel for N625 per litre at ENYO Filling Station in Igando. I got to the same filling station on Friday but I was told the fuel has finished so I went to a Filling station at Brichfame Oil & Gas where I bought fuel for N855 per litre. On Saturday, I decided to go and get fuel. The Petro Safe along Igando Road was selling for N650 per litre but the long queue has taken over the major part of the road. While contemplating on joining the long queue, an Alaye told me there’s a filling station at a particular place where they were selling for N680. I drove down to AP at Odo-Isuti road, where I met less queue, I was skeptical about the litre of a filling station selling for N680 without queue, even where filling stations selling for N850 per litre has queues. I asked the attendant to sell N9000, but I was curious to know the measurements of their litre, so I asked him to sell N7000 into the vehicle and N2000 into the gallon with me. He sold it and requested that I add N100 to the money, so I gave him N9100 before he let me go. I decided to analyse the N2000 fuel to check and confirm my curiosity. I look for 75 centiliters of plastics to measure the fuel. I discovered that 14.7 centilitres (Cl) which is approximately 15 centilitres is removed from 1 litre which is equivalent to 100 centilitres. The 15 centilitres (15 X 6.8) is N102 that has been directly deducted from each litre of petrol by the filling station even before selling the fuel. Buying fuel 75 Cl for N680 thinking you are buying cheap not knowing you are indirectly paying N680 plus N102 which is N782 per litre from an independent marketer.
This is how innocent Nigerians unknowingly make daily contributions to enrich filling station owners and managers. Mr Chukwueze showed me the fuel he bought on Sunday for N5000 saying he bought it at the AP filling station at Afolabi where they sold for N700 per litre, he lamented over the quantity of the fuel saying their meter wasn’t up to standard.
Nobody is checking the filling station again to checkmate their metre to make sure it meets normal standard. It appears that each filling station manager decides the quantity of litre.
On Sunday, I decided to change my location from Alimosho to check activities of filling station across the Lagos. I went to part of Ojo local government before going towards Badagry road to monitor the price of the filling station. From Iyan-isashi, Igbo elerin, Agabara, down to Oko Afo, I visited over 20 filling station to get price of fuel, some were under lock due to lack of fuel product. Penafort filling station, RAAF, Arigubu Oil and gas were selling fuel for N850-860, while Ghe Petroleum, First Blefvic Petroleum, etc sells their fuel for N870-N900 per litre.
Government refineries have refused to produce oil and function despite promises by government over these years. The sixth time that the Port Harcourt Refinery will postpone commencement of operation for different reasons. Private Refinery is ready to produce but couldn’t get crude oil to produce petroleum products. Alahji Aliko Dangote has cried to the high heavens that government has refused to supply crude oil to Dangote Refinery In Lagos due to high power hands that are feeding fat from the continous importation.
Olufemi Soneye, NNPC Chief Corporate Communications Officer on Monday said The NNPC Ltd regrets the tightness in fuel supply witnessed in some parts of Lagos and the FCT, which is as a result of distribution challenges.
“The Company further urges motorists to shun panic buying as it is working round the clock with relevant stakeholders to restore normalcy.”
Iyana-iba to Mile 2 that is usually N300 is now N500 while Marina to Lekki Phase 1 that is usually N500 is now N700 due to the fuel scarcity. The transporters have increased the fare price to reflect the new cost of fuel. From my experience commuting to complete this report, I heard passengers grumble about the hike fare due to fuel scarcity.
