By: Josephine Olakanye, Lagos
With most filling stations shut down due to lack of supply, long queues were noticed across streets of Lagos State at the entrance of major Fuel Marketers stations selling between N179 to N190 per litre.
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However, some filling stations now sell their product ranging from N240 to N270 per litre.
A bus driver, Mr Oketayo who spoke with THE ELITES WATCH reporter lamented the ongoing scarcity of fuel and how passengers are complaining over the increase in transport fares.
He said, “ I’m a bus driver, I must confess to you that fuel scarcity is making things difficult for me and my family. Anytime I go to the Petrol station to buy fuel, and the fuel attendants see us coming, they close the gate to restrict us. If we question why? they’ll say they’re under an order.”
“I discovered that after we must have been shut off from their fuel stations, they allow rich men with big cars entrance. How do we survive in Nigeria when petrol is now costly and scarce? and even customers complaining about the increase in transport fare prices,” Oketayo lamented as he struggle to push his commercial bus away from the gate of the filling station.
Recently in Lagos, fuel scarcity has become an alarming issue leaving queues of motorists jammed on the major roads as sellers of black market prices made brisk business selling their products in Jerry cans.
Ordinary Nigerians particularly Lagosians have equally faced transportation challenges which have created impediments in their daily activities.
The scarcity and increase in prices of fuel commodities have equally caused an increase in transportation fares in Nigeria.
When approached, Another commercial driver by the name Mr Rauf Ojo, said the agonies caused by the increase in the transportation fare could not be imagined.
“Many are complaining that they could not travel and it often happens during the weekend. The majority of the people can’t even move from one place to another. You can decide to go visit your relatives in Ikorodu from Ikeja or anywhere in Lagos here to see how much the fare will cost you, compared to the last two months.”
A concerned citizen, Mrs Jane Ebedi who was on her way from the fuel station complained that the situation appears as “If the government is oblivious of their predicament.”
She pleaded to the Federal Government to make available the supply of petrol across privately owned stations.
Mrs Ebedi, however, requested that the price of the fuel be reduced by the Federal Government to cushion the effect of the petrol scarcity.
Meanwhile, the Hike in the marketplace is also a major concern to Lagosians.
Food vendors and customers have lamented bitterly over the constant increase in the price of foodstuffs.
Mr Udoh, an Igbo food items seller inside Ogba Market decried the rate at which he purchases food items while lamenting low patronage of his commodities.
“The price we sell food items and the rate at which we buy these commodities have fiercely increased. An average Nigerian can barely have a 2square meal conveniently not to talk of a 3square meal. Our customers have stopped frequenting us since the prices have changed.”
Another respondent Mrs Olanrewaju, a civil servant said “To be honest with ourselves we are suffering and smiling in Nigeria, when I receive a salary of not up Seventy thousand naira and I take it to the market to purchase foodstuffs that will last my family for the next one month. I can tell you categorically that Seventy thousand Naira is no more enough for the number of items I purchase on a regular day for Thirty thousand naira. And yet, we still smile like all is well, how will the government know that we are really suffering in this country?,” She queried.
Citizens have complained about the state of bad roads in Lagos State, they attributed the blame to the State Government, saying that they’re taking Campaigns more seriously than the welfare of the people.
Mrs Fagbemi, A resident of Fagba in Ikeja Local Government of Lagos State complained about the terrible state of Fagba roads.
She said, “Fagba roads have been terrible for motorists for years ever since I was in Junior Secondary school. We kept complaining, but no change has been witnessed.”
Along the Ogun-Lagos axis, an Influential personality who preferred not to be named because he was not authorized to speak for the Community said “Sango roads has become a klepto point for the razz boys around due to the terrible situation of the road.”
THE ELITES WATCH top Source claimed that the government are “playing mind games with the citizens” despite the frightening situation witnessed daily on the road.
He equally lamented the increase in prices of fuel, food items, and transportation which he said citizens are hopeful that the Federal and State governments would look into before the festive period.
•Olakanye Josephine is a Higher National Diploma (HND) student of the Nigerian Institute of Journalism, Ogba, Ikeja, Lagos State. She holds a National Diploma certificate in Mass Communication.
Josephine currently writes for The Elites Watch with major interests in Investigations, Politics, Entertainment and General Interest.
She can be reached via: JosephineOlakanye@theeliteswatch.com