Fuel queues: Motorists express worry as long queues resurface in FCT

Motorists in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) have expressed worry over the long queues being presently experienced due to the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as fuel.

The correspondent, who went around the town on Wednesday, reports that long queues were seen at fuel stations due to the scarcity of the product.

In the city centre, long queues were seen at TotalEnergies, Wuse, Zone 3, TotalEnergies by Audit House, Cornoil and TotalEnergies, opposite the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) Towers and all NNPC Ltd. Retail Outlets.

Along Kubwa express way, the NNPC Ltd. Retail Outlets opposite Salbas, Shema, AA Rano and Salbas fuel stations as well as Evergreen station inside Kubwa had long queues.

Along Airport Road, Rimaco fuel station and NNPC Ltd. retail outlet had long queues as well as stranded passengers.

The independent marketers sell between N680 to N700 per litre, while the NNPC Ltd. retail outlets maintain its pump price of N617 per litre.

The black marketers were also seen along he roads and in front of fuel stations making brisk business, selling at N1, 000 per litre of fuel.

Some of the motorists expressed sadness at the inconsistency and unavailability of fuel and its associated high price in the country.

They appealed to the Federal Government to resolve whatever the issues were.

Mr Kingsley Adeh, a motorist, complained that he spends more than N100, 000 in purchasing fuel on weekly basis but make no gain.

He said that this had forced many motorists to park their vehicles at home, thereby reducing traffic, while passengers, especially workers were left stranded daily at various bus stops.

However, an official of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), who spoke under condition of anonymity, said there was no PMS distribution challenge in the FCT.

He said almost every fuel station had PMS to sell and that the few stations with queues were those selling cheaper than others, especially the NNPC Ltd.’s retail outlet.

“I drove round the city centre and there were no queues except at the NNPC retail station,” he said.

Speaking with newsmen, Alhaji Maigandi Garima, the President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), said there were queues because people prefer to buy fuel from NNPC retail or stations that sell below the rate of independent marketers.

“That is the reason for the long queues but if you go to the independent marketers such as IPMAN, Major Energy Marketers Association of Nigeria (MEMAN) and Depot and Petroleum Manufacturers Association of Nigeria (DAPMAN) you will not see much queues.

“The independent marketers sell higher because of the rate they buy from private depots while those that buy from the NNPC Ltd. depots sell cheaper.

“The ex-depot price for private depot is between N650 and N690, while the ex-depot price for NNPC Ltd. depot is N555 per litre,’’ he said.