NAN – Business activities grounded to a halt in Uyo on Tuesday, November 17, 2015 due to fuel scarcity.
A News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), correspondent who monitored the situation, reports that few stations sold a litre of fuel for between N170 and N200 to those in long queues.
NAN reports that the commodity was being sold in the black market at N400 per litre.
A tricycle rider, Mr Okon Imoh, told NAN that he bought five litres of fuel from a black market dealer at N2,000.
Imoh said he had to increase the transport fare to N150 per drop so that he can make a profit.
“For fuel to be sold by black market dealers, you will agree with me that the scarcity is artificial.
“Some of the fuel stations have fuel but chose to sell to black market dealers who in turn sell at high price.
“Government should try and address the problem that has made us to be suffering to buy a product we have in abundance.” he said.
NAN reports that the fuel scarcity has led to the drastic reduction of vehicular traffic on Uyo roads and other parts of the state.
Some people also walked long distances to their places of work.
A civil servant with Akwa Ibom State Civil Service, Mr Ekefre Akpan, told NAN that he had to park his car to avoid buying adulterated petrol which might cause engine dysfunction.
Akpan urged the Federal Government to fulfill its promise of ensuring fuel availability always by reviving the nation’s refineries and possibly construct new ones.
He also urged government to put a palliative measure in place concerning the deplorable condition of Calabar–Itu Road, to avoid tankers falling with the consignments.
