The problem of high price
and scarcity of Petrol is still not over in Port Harcourt and other parts of Rivers State as some filling stations are still not selling the product  while some of those  selling, sell above  the N87.00 officially announced pumps price of the product.
The Tide gathered that some marketers are still hoarding the product in anticipation of scarcity in the near  future.
A taxi driver, Ebi Jackson, told  The Tide  that one hardly gets the product in many filling station and  that a litre costs above N87.00 at the  few stations where the product is available.
“I bought at the costs of N100.00 a  litre yesterday afternoon and three days ago, I bought at the rate of N110.00 per litre.
He blamed the Directorate  of Petroleum Resources (DPR) for not effectively monitoring the marketers. “DPR cannot tell Nigerians that they are not aware of the sales above official pump price unless they are not doing  their  official duties,” Jackson stated.
Another transporter, Udor said, “the price is still high. I don’t even go to filling stations, I buy from the road side  black marketer  at N130.00”, he said.
He explained, “that at the black market you are sure to get the product  and when  you buy it you are also sure of  quantity you are buying because  in some filling stations they manipulate  the pump such that  before  you know it, you have  run out of fuel.
“I bought ten litres from a black  marketer at the slaughter  axis of Port Harcourt  and it took me to Uyo yesterday. If I had bought from the filling stations, the fear is that my fuel could finish on the way.
“It is not as if the government is not trying but there  are a lot of sabotage amongst the markers”, he  remarked.
He blamed  the DPR for the poor  state of  things saying if DPR officials  were doing  their  work, they would  have sanctioned most of the stations  who manipulate pumps and sell above N87.00 per litre and also those hoarding  the products.

Chris Oluoh