PH City Under Pangs Of Adulterated, Scarce Fuel

For the past one week, most roads in Port Harcourt and Obio/Akpor metropolis are now relatively free from the usual gridlock that appears to be a landmark of routes such as Mile 3, Wimpey Junction, some part of Aba Roads up to Rumuola and Hotel Presidential Port Harcourt.
The situation is not because of new expanded routes or presence of traffic wardens, but due to fuel scarcity that is hard hitting transporters and vehicle owners. The Tide investigations reveal that most of the vehicles are either packed up or are on queue in filling stations.
Two weeks ago, many residents and transporters raised alarm of adulterated fuel in circulation. Many vehicles, including power generating plants packed up with the adulterated petroleum product.
Mr. Clement Wakama told The Tide that he was a victim. ” The fuel looks normal”, Wakama said, ” by the time you pour it into your generator, you will see water settling at the bottom and you know that once water enters your carburetor, the engine knocks.”
A manager of one of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)-owned fuel station who preferred anonymity confirmed that actually there was adulterated Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) , also known as fuel that was in circulation, noting that “we, in the government-owned station don’t sell such product.”
The NNPC fuel station manager was of the belief that news of the adulterated fuel may also be a fluke by some marketers to make money. “Nobody actually knows the truth how the product came about, but it has led to panic buying and hoarding of products”.
Just last weekend, panic buying and hoarding spread across the city as long queues began to grow in most of the filling stations visited by The Tide.
At Conoil Petrol Station by Education bus stop in Mile 1 Diobu, and which is the only station selling fuel along the Mile 3 to Mile 1 axis, many buyers were seen scrambling with their jerry cans and vehicles to get fuel.
Mr. Jake Orji told The Tide that he had been on queue for 30minutes to get the products. ” We are used to this kind of thing and it’s unfortunate. They created fake fuel, they created artificial scarcity”.
Orji lamented that the authorities are not helping the masses with the situation on ground, as he disclosed that he was not a victim of the adulterated fuel. I usually buy my fuel from the filling stations”.
In the old Port Harcourt town axis of the metropolis, only the NNPC Mega station was found selling products and Metro Tide investigation reveals that they still sell at the official pump price of N162.
The NNPC fuel station in town axis had a long queue and with vehicles causing traffic congestion few metres from the Lagos Bus Stop. Activities of black marketers are also visible along the Azikiwe Road axis as one drives up to Station bus stop along the area.
The black marketers often sit with their jerry cans and long hand made funnels, rush to meet vehicles that come to buy products. One of them told The Tide that he managed to have gotten product from the NNPC station at the official pump price of #162 per litre but sells at 250 per litre to his customers.
At Conoil Filling Station Education bus stop in Diobu, a litre of fuel sells for N190 according to Mr. Wakama,” there is no fuel in the whole of town axis, I had to come down here to buy”
Metro Tide survey reveals that since the fuel scarcity began, many marketers sell at varied prices outside the official rate. Some sell at N200, N165 and while others sell at 180 depending on the area of the metropolis.
With the current situation many commercial transporters are mulling rise in transport fare. Musa Brown, who is transport manager at Sam Jaja Foundation said,” for now, we are doing humanitarian work because aside the high cost of fuel, motor parts are also expensive.
“So, if we follow the rise in fuel price and cost of motor parts, we can’t continue with our old transport fare. And soon, we may increase our fares if the situation persists,” Brown said.
For now, the usual transport fare from Agip to Mile 1 is still, N100, while from Education bustop to Lagos bustop is N50.
Minor fare increments were observed between Mile 3 to Rumuokoro routes where bus drivers blame the gridlock at Wimpey junction for the fare increment from the usual N100 to N150.
Another commercial transporter, and owner of a private park in Mile 1, Chief Francis Egbeinyefaa regretted the situation,” we that are plying inter-state between Yenagoa to Port Harcourt are seriously affected, ” it is only few filling stations that are selling.”
Mr Egbinyefaa said for now, they have not increased their fares which still hovers between N1,200 to N1,500 depending on the type of vehicle boarded, adding that, ” we have passengers but vehicles are few because there is no fuel.”
He, however, hinted that if the situation persists, they might be forced to increase fares for commuters.
Meanwhile, some filling stations in Port Harcourt, due to the fear of possible scarcity of petrol have shut down and fear continues to grow. Some car owners expressed shock over the imminent scarcity of petrol and complained of buying fuel for as much as N180 per litre in some parts of the state.

By: Kevin Nengia