In the last two months, there has been a deliberate scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)  and an uneven hike in the price of fuel across the country. Despite the fact, the government subsidised product at N165 a litre is being sold between N300 and N650 per litre across the nation

This development, webteam@ipedge2nigeria.net gathered that this is making life extremely difficult for Nigerians as the effects of the increase trickle down to other necessities like food, transportation and others. Webteam@Ipledge2nigeria also gathered that apart from a few stations like Bovas, NNPC, Mobil,  and Total other stations sell between 250 and N600.

In Lagos, for instance, a fuel station located at iyana-school sells a liter for N225, Total filling station located at Iyana isashi sold at N169, Total at Jibowu sold for N169.50, Mobil at Ajah, sold at N170, at AP fuel station Awolowo Road Ikoyi Lagos, it is sold at 170 naira per litre, Total on Mobolaji Bank Anthony Road Before Sheraton sells for N169, in Ipaja, Mobil sold for N240, while NNPC sold at N169, Danco filling station in Lakowe, Ajah, sold theirs for N250 a liter, varying prices in same Lagos.

Port Harcourt in Rivers state had similar price discrepancies while some station sells a liter for N350 some sold for N298. Fuel stations like Energymatic sold a liter for N295. Oando located at Peter Odili road sold at N280. BOVAS located at East West Road sold at N180, stations on Eliozu Gu Ake Road axis sold 350 per litre while NNPC at Rumousi still in Port Harcourt sold at N179.

While most stations in Abuja are selling fuel below 200 Naira, Imo state is the worst hit in terms of the hike. In Life camp Abuja, fuel is 180 naira Abuja, A.Y.M Shafa filling station, also sells at nN180,durumi/games village N180.

While places like Orlu a liter is sold for N400, at FUTO Road Eziobodo, it is sold for N380, at Irete N370, and at Index station Area H New Owerri, a liter is N270. Nepal Fueling Station located at MCC uratta road sells for N220. 

Empire Energy filling station in Owerri sold a litter for N285, while a station at Nekede Poly sold 365, another at Orji sold N330 while another at MCC Road Owerri sold a liter for N350 

Most fuel stations that sell below N200 have long frustrating queues and some sell of them sell solely to vehicle and bike owners.

Lamenting a civil servant Ngozi Ubani who works in one of the state ministries said I have spent all my salary on transportation in Owerri because of the high cost of fuel. People buying fuel N180, N270, N250, you don’t know what God has done for you.

The situation is similar in Ebonyi State, as some fuel stations sell N400, others sell N340 at Abakaliki. In Onitsha some stations, like Rain oil sold a liter for N280, others for N320. In Isuochi area of Abia State it sold 410, however, some AP filling stations in Umuahia sold 189 others at N185 per Liter.

N400 per litre in Saki Oyo state, N290 in Jos, 290 Per litre, Sapele road, Benin city, Edo state. N280,  per litre Jere, Kaduna south, N300 Sokoto state, N270 at Ilaro, in Ogun State, N320 in Yenagoa, Bayelsa State, N300 in Warri, N245 Asaba.

Recounting her ordeal at one of the stations in Lagos that sells below N200, a mother of two, Damilola Adelaide said on Monday I stayed in the queue for over three hours, the driver in my front slept off when the line started moving, two smart drivers blocked him and me by taking our turn. I went to them to protest but they started laughing at me. Unfortunately, the fuel finished before it could get to them.”

From investigations fuel is costly in the Southeast as Tanker drivers refuse to take petroleum products due to insecurities but relatively cheap in Abuja the federal capital, there is more regulatory control compared to other parts including the oil states.

Speaking on the development, Organised Private Sector of Nigeria, OPSN, has described the lingering fuel scarcity in Nigeria as a shame. 

“It should be noted that over a decade, the country has spent well over N20 trillion on fuel subsidies. In 2022 alone, over N5 trillion was expended and over N3 trillion was budgeted for the same in the 2023 budget. It thus becomes worrisome that the same product that is being subsidized and supposed to be sold at a pump price of about N165 per litre is being sold for over N300 and in some instances N650 per litre across the nation.

“The humongous amount spent in the guise of subsidy regime is being used to subsidize inefficiency, corruption and consumption. In other climes, these funds would have been judiciously used for more productive activities that will directly impact the lives of citizens, most especially the provision of infrastructural facilities.

“A few years ago, the report of a Presidential Committee on Verification and Reconciliation of Fuel Subsidy Payments between 2009 and 2011, showed that about N667billion (about $4.3billion) was being mismanaged annually subsidizing millions of litres of petrol that Nigerians never used, or even needed. Recent comments by high-ranking Government officials including the Comptroller-General of Customs also alluded to the fact that the subsidy scheme is a brazen rape of our scarce resources.

“While we strongly recommend that the fuel subsidy regime should be removed by Government by June 2023, as contained in the Appropriation Act, 2023, we also strongly urge that Government should not spare any effort to complete the Turn Around Maintenance of the four refineries before the June 2023 date.

“We equally urge Government to institute a judicial enquiry involving employers and worker’s representatives to ascertain those that are culpable in the fuel subsidy scam