Sodiq Oyeleke
Barely 24 hours after members of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria raised the alarm that fuel price may increase, long queues have begun to surface in filling stations across Lagos State.
It will be recalled that IPMAN had threatened to increase petrol price from the approved price of N145 to about N160 per litre, claiming that Depot and Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria had increased the price of fuel sold to marketers by N16.
It was gathered that despite the long queue, most of the filling stations in Lagos still sold at the price approved by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation.
Our correspondent, who moved from Yaba area of Lagos to Ikorodu, gathered that the long queue resulted from the fear that the price may increase at any time.
At Mobile Filling Station in Sabo, many of the drivers after filling their vehicle tanks bought extra fuel in kegs.
Many residents of the area, majority of whom brought multiple containers, formed a different long queue.
Asked if there electricity in the area was faulty, one of residents replied, "No, we are just preparing for the worst."
The situation was similar at NNPC filling stations at Onipan and Palmgrove.
While the long queue at Onipan resulted into traffic, the filling station was full to the brim at Palmgrove.
The experience at NNPC Filling Station in Ketu was also not different, as commercial vehicles returning to Ikorodu had to proceed further for fuel.
Some of commercial drivers who spoke with our correspondent said they could barely get fuel at Ikorodu.
According to them, they have to return to Yaba area to fill their tanks.
One of them, who identified himself as Akoko, said, "I have to drive down from Ikorodu to this place (Sabo) to get fuel. Most of the filling stations are not selling fuel. There is a long queue in the few of them that open."
Another driver, identified as Baba, lamented that it was difficult for drivers to get fuel.
Baba, who patronises Ojota-Ogba route while pleading with passengers said, 'Please, I will wait at Total (in Ojota) to get fuel. No filling station sold from Ogba till I got here."
Following the recent development, transport fares along major roads in the state have also increased.
This is as passengers werestranded at many of the bus-stops.
For instance, Sabo to Ojota increased from N200 to N250; Ojota to Ikorodu, from N150 to N200; Ojota to Ogba, from N100 to N150.
CAPTION: Mobile Filling Station at Sabo Area of Lagos on Monday evening. Photo: Sodiq Oyeleke.
Written by NEWSTRAWL ONLINE UPDATE
Sodiq Oyeleke is a Media, Human Resources, Project Management and Public Relations Practitioner
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