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Fuel scarcity cripples economic activities in Ebonyi

By Nnamdi Abakaliki
06 April 2016   |   2:06 am
Economics and social activities have been crippled in Ebonyi State, following the persisting scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol.
Fuel scarcity

Fuel scarcity

Economics and social activities have been crippled in Ebonyi State, following the persisting scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise known as petrol.

At few stations where the product is available, the price goes for between N250 to N350 per litre, resulting in mass trekking of people to their destinations.

However, at the NNPC mega station, where it sells at the official pump price of N86.50k per litre, there are long queues, forcing people to stay for hours or a day, before they could purchase fuel.

A survey of the roads show that only few vehicles, commercial vehicles were seen on the roads.
As the people groan under the excruciating pain, prices of foodstuffs and other essential commodities have continued to soar, while transport fares have tripled in the last few days.

Lamenting their ordeal, traders complained that they were forced to increase their products, because the transport fares have jumped beyond their reach.

One of the traders, Thomas Nwite told The Guardian that the government is to blame for the hardship the people were passing through.

“How can a country that produces fuel be experiencing fuel scarcity, it is a big shame to those in authority,” he lamented.

The general complaints are that unless the Federal Government proffers urgent solution to the crisis, the masses would continue to suffer.

One of the independent marketers, who spoke to our correspondent on condition of anonymity, said that they were selling at the current price because they bought at equally high price, and therefore would not want to sell at a loss.

Speaking on the development, Special Adviser to the governor on Petroleum Products, Onyibe Bassey Chima, descried the scarcity and persistent selling above official pump price as unacceptable.

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