Nigerians groan as petrol sells at N500 per litre in Kaduna

Nigerians groan as petrol sells at N500 per litre in Kaduna

//Segun Ojo, Kaduna//

Many Nigerians, especially those in Kaduna State, are not finding the persistent fuel crisis the country is faced with easy at all as they now pay through their nose before they can move from one point to another, while others who could not afford high transport fare simply sit at home which is a bad omen for Nation’s gross domestic products.

Despite the ban on sales of petroleum products in jerricans by Kaduna State Government, the situation is worst as the law enforcement agencies began arrest and seizure of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, from roadside ‘dealers’.

The boys now sell at exorbitant N500 per litre from their hiding to avoid been arrested by fuel thirsty security operatives who equally need the commodity for their operation and personal use.

Recall, that before the ban early this week, they sell between N200 and N250 to motorists who cannot afford to queue for hour at filling station most of whom are equally not selling at control price of N87 per litre.

Recall also, that within three hours of ban, the boys have disappeared from major roads in Kaduna metropolis while the sales continue in back streets till the following day.

Although security agents are out to enforce the ban, but the buyers and sellers not device another rendezvous to safe time though at higher cost.

Analysts say the ban on the road side sakes of petrol by Kaduna State Government was ill timed. They say apart from the fact that the filling stations are not selling at official price, many of them have also adjusted their pumps to swindle unsuspecting buyers unlike when they buy in jerrican, they are sure of how many litres they are buying which is what they pay for.

As it is in Kaduna, as a motorist, you either pack your car at home, ready to queue for days or buy from defiant black marketers at N2,000 per four litres gallon.

23-year-old Musa, said he now sell to only customers he knows like back of his hand to avoid arrest.

He said, “I sell for only people I know very well.

“But government banning us is uncalled for. What we are doing is genuine. We are doing our own work. We are not thieves. To get the products, we sometimes sleep at fuel station for days. It is not coming so easily and we only add little gain to what we buy,” he said.

Already, motorists are saying they are tired of the hard situation, “those boys are making hell fortunes from failure of Nigerian government by selling fuel at N2,000 per gallon,” a motorist, Abdulgafar Alabelewe lamented.

However, some motorists expressed hope that if the promise made by Minister of Petroleum (State) is anything to go by, the situation will improve in no distant time.

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