8th September, 2012
Despite assurances given by the Nigerian government that there is enough petrol stock to last 30 days, hundreds of vehicles were on queue to buy fuel at filling stations in Ibadan, Oyo State on Saturday.
The motorists struggled to buy fuel at filling stations at Mokola, Agodi, Olomi, Ring Road and Adeoyo areas of the city.
Mr Femi Ogundeji, an attendant at the Total Filling Station at Iyaganku, said the queue was due to panic buying as there was sufficient fuel at every filling station in the city.
“I am surprised that people are queuing to buy fuel when there is fuel. We sold petrol yesterday, in spite of the long queue. We are used to the system.
“People thought that since fuel was scarce in other states, the situation might be the same in Ibadan,” Ogundeji said.
At the Bethel Filling Station at Adeoyo, attendants charged N200 before selling fuel to motorists.
The attendants said the management of the station instructed them to collect N200 before they could sell fuel to motorists.
Mr Temitope Olusegun, who was buying fuel at the station, said that it was cruel for the station to collect N200 from motorists before selling fuel to them.
“Corruption is deep-rooted in this country. The first day of queue, N200 is collected. What happens if the scarcity of fuel persists?,” Olusegun asked.
Efforts to speak with the manager of the station proved abortive as he was said not to be available.
Mr Olayemi Oluleye, Lagos Zonal Vice Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, told NAN that the NNPC stock at Ibadan was low, due to vandalised pipelines.
Oluleye said that a pipeline was vandalised recently at Arepo Town, a boundary community between Oyo State and Ogun.
“The pipeline caught fire and it is undergoing repairs. It only affects Ibadan deport,” he said.
Oluleye called on government to send security operatives to the area to rescue the situation.