Fuel Scarcity Resurges In PH As Petrol Sells N120 Per Litre

Fuel scarcity situation
which abated few days ago across the nation has resurfaced in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital.
Our correspondent who monitored the development said long quenes were seen in some petrol stations and that a litre which rose to N200.00 at the peak of the scarcity but dropped to N97.00 following the intervention of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has again risen to N120.00.
Some of Port Harcourt residents who spoke to The Tide lamented that the scarcity has started to frustrate social and business life in the city and its environs.
Mr Chukwudi Nwamara, a taxi driver who spoke to The Tide Monday said, “I thought  with the importation of the product a couple of days ago, the scarcity would be a thing of the past”.
Nwamara said instead of the N97.00 the marketers resorted to few days ago, the cost per litre has again jumped to N120.00 and even N130 at some places.
Also speaking, Mr Christmas Peters, a trader in Mile II, Diobu, expressed regret over the return of fuel scarcity in Nigeria and appealed to the Federal Government to resolve whatever differences that exist between the government and the oil marketers so that the nation would have regular and adequate supply to satisfy the need of Nigerians.
He lamented that scarcity of the product has become a regular problem and that it was unleasting untold hardship to the average Nigeria who toils everyday for his or her living.
An economist and consultant in Business Management, Mr Ernest Sampson expressed the view that the issue of petroluem has become a victms of politics in Nigeria.
“Why are they politicising the oil sector,” he querried and noted that the Federal Government should urgently seek ways to revitalise and liberalise the sector by putting the refinaries in order.
The consultant wondered why things that work easily in other nations of the world remain complex problems in Nigeria and noted that “if upon the huge crude oil resource in Nigeria, we cannot run the sector efficiently, then something serious is happening some where”.
It would be recalled that for over two weeks furl scarcity hit the nation recently following alleged arreas owed marketers by the government to enable them import the products.
To assuage the situation, Federal Government through NNPC intervened by importing the products.

Chris Oluoh