PH Motorists Recount Ordeal Over ‘Black Marketers’

Following the long queues at
filling stations in Rivers State, some motorists are groaning as they are forced to patronise those selling the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also known as petrol in jerry cans  on major roads and streets of Rivers State.
The motorists who made their feelings known in a chat with The Tide correspondent in Port Harcourt expressed sadness over the lingering fuel scarcity in the state.
According to them, they spend a whopping sum of N3,400 for 20-litres of fuel and N1,700 for 10 litres at the black market, instead of the government official pump price of N86.50k per litre at filling stations.
They lamented that the situation is greatly affecting their daily activities as their income could not afford it any longer.
The motorists, who called on the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, to urgently come to the aid of the suffering masses by providing the product to the common citizens in the society.
They also noted that the promise made by the Minister for Petroleum, Ibe Kachikwu, that fuel will be made available this week is still a dare-dream, as the scarcity persists every day even this week, and that he should not take Nigerians for granted because he is a minister.
Barr Fidelis Onuora said the situation is getting worst every day as black market operators smile homes with proceeds from their illegal sales.
Onuora noted with regret that most of the black market operators got the products from these filling stations at approved pump price, only to suffer the common motorists who could not go and queue up at the filling stations for hours.
Mrs Ruth Awari also noted with dismay that for some months now, the fuel scarcity had lingered in most filling stations in the state, and that drastic measures should be taken to alleviate the suffering of the motoring public.
Another motorist, Chibuzor Amanze said it was  disheartening buying fuel from jerry cans in Rivers State, the base of Port Harcourt Refining Company.
“I think the federal and state governments should take proactive action to stop the ugly trend or allow filling station operators to sell the product at an exorbitant price”, Amanze opined.
Ayo Babafemi also revealed that he felt bad whenever he purchased the product (fuel) from the black marketers, because of the extra money involved and not knowing the quality of the product he was buying, and appealed to the authorities concerned to do something.

Collins Barasimeye