By Our Correspondents
The shortage of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, popularly called petrol worsened Monday as long queues of vehicles were seen around few filling stations dispensing fuel.
The NNPC Group Managing Director, Mele Kyari, had blamed the scarcity of petrol on the adulterated product brought into the country without supervision.
NNPC said the national oil firm received on January 20, 2022, a report from its quality inspector on the presence of emulsion particles in PMS cargoes shipped to Nigeria from Antwerp-Belgium.
He said NNPC investigation revealed the presence of methanol in four PMS cargoes imported by its Direct Sale Direct Purchase suppliers namely: MRS, Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium, Oando, and Duke Oil.
The Minister of Petroleum, President Muhammadu Buhari has refused to speak or tackle the problem which has crippled the economy of the Federal Capital and other major cities.
However, the development has equally taken a negative toll on traffic situation as vehicles queues have narrowed most roads to single lane. Findings by our correspondent revealed that few filling stations that sold petrol had very long queues stretching for about half kilometre.
Our correspondent also gathered that from Kubwa to Wuse, Maitama to Asokoro, only a few stations sold petrol on Sunday afternoon. On Monday, NNPC, NIPCO along Kubwa expressway, Shafa oil, Rainoil and NNPC in Gwarimpa were seen dispensing fuel to motorists but had long queues of motorists.
However, petrol is available in 10 litres jerrycans at 400/litre at the black market.
Our correspondent reports that petrol sold by black marketers were diluted with water or other chemical giving the fuel a different colour. At popular bus stops in Dawaki, Kubwa, Dutse, Gwarimpa, Bannex, passengers were stranded as fewer commercial vehicles operated.
Our correspondent gathered that transport fare rose due to the scarcity. From Kubwa to Wuse that was 200 rose to #300.
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