Yuletide: Fear Grips Travellers Over Fuel Scarcity

Nigerians have began to express fear over possible scarcity of fuel with the Christmas and New Year celebrations just within the corner.

Though some are still thinking of travelling, many of others, it was learnt, are reconsidering their earlier plans to travel for the celebrations.

There are already reports that some cities across the country are beginning to witness fuel scarcity resulting from the refusal of marketers to import premium motor spirit, popularly called petrol.

The refusal to import, it was learnt, is because the federal government, through the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) has refused to grant approval for the importation of petrol for the fourth quarter of the year.

With this refusal, therefore, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) could not give the marketers import permit for the product.

It means that what the country is currently enjoying is the quantity that was not consumed in the third quarter and analysts believe this may not be enough to sustain Nigerians especially during thyuletide celebrations.

P.M.NEWS spoke with Nigerians who may have been planning to travel for the Christmas celebration and found out that their major fear was the likely hike in the cost of transportation that may occur during the period.

Mrs. Mabel Ifeanyi, a business woman in Lagos and mother of six explained that her husband, also a businessman in the state, has informed the family that they may not travel this year.

According to her, in the past four years, they had always travelled to Enugu for the Christmas celebration.

“But this year, my husband who sells spare parts has told us that he may not be able to afford the cost of transportation.

“He has explained that fuel may be very scarce because the government has not imported since when they started discussing the removal of fuel subsidy,” she told P.M.NEWS.

Another respondent, who gave his name as Mr. Victor Ikponwosa, said he had been thinking of travelling since the middle of the year.

“For sometime now, I have not been home and so I thought I could make it this year, at least to celebrate the Christmas with my family. But I am scared now, because, apart from the cost of transportation that would definitely be high then, those you are going to meet will be waiting for you to ‘drop something’ that would make them happy.

“I am a teacher, but nobody in the village cares about what you do as long as they know you are in Lagos. To them, you are a big man.”

Another respondent, Emma Idoko, a staff of a manufacturing company in Lagos, explained that he is under pressure to travel.

“My parents have been calling to remind me that they are expecting me and my family during that period. I am very confused now, because so far, I do not have enough to transport us from here to Benue and also be able to give to those who are waiting over there for us.

“Even if I decide to borrow some money from the office, I will feel the consequence in January when they start deducting it from my salary. So for now, I don’t know what to do about it,” he told P.M.NEWS.

A driver with Iyare Motors, who did not want his name mentioned told our correspondent that commercial vehicle owners are currently reviewing the situation and would soon come out with an increase in transport fares. According to him, petrol is already getting scarce as some filling stations across the country do not currently have the product.

“The ones that even have are hoarding it because they know that the rush hour is just behind the corner. So tell me why the cost of transportation won’t go up,” he said.

He also disclosed that black marketers have begun mopping up the product so as to sell it back when the price is high.

When asked if he knows why the product may become scarce, he retorted: “Go and ask your government now. Since they don’t buy fuel, they don’t know what the people are passing through.

“They say the government has stopped importing fuel and I think it is a way to make the product very scarce so that Nigerians, being who we are, would start begging for the availability of the product at any price.”

— Eromosele Ebhomele