Queues return as fuel scarcity hits Abuja, five states

[Esther ogunseemi]

Many filling stations were closed in Abuja and about five other states on Wednesday as the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol caused heavy queues at the few outlets that dispensed the product.

Thousands of commuters in the Federal Capital Territory, Nasarawa, Niger, Gombe, Sokoto and Anambra states were left stranded at various bus stops due to the scarcity of PMS required by transporters to run their vehicles.
This led to a hike in transport fares in the affected states, as the few transporters who had petrol raised their rates.

It was gathered that the scarcity was due to a shortage in the supply of PMS to the nation’s capital and other states, as this led to the closure of filling stations in the affected areas.

Oil marketers, however, stated that they would hold a meeting with the management of the retail subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited today (Thursday) to know the cause of the shortage and how to tackle it.

Hundreds of motorists besieged the Conoil and Total filling stations that sold petrol in front of the corporate headquarters of NNPC in Abuja on Wednesday.

This led to vehicular traffic on the roads leading to NNPC headquarters and other surrounding companies in the Central Business District of Abuja.