High Fuel Pump Price Attracts Queues At NNPCL Stations

Fuel queues have returned in some parts of Port Harcourt, especially at state owned Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPC).
The Tide Metro learnt that the development is connected to the high pump price of petroleum products outside state owned NNPC stations.
For almost a month now, the pump price of fuel has circled between N230- N250 in privately owned stations, as transporters hike transport fares up to 100 per cent.
Onyema Iwuji, a bus driver who spoke to The Tide Metro at NNPC station in old Port Harcourt Township said: “I had been in the queue for 30 minutes since the federal government owned fuel retailing outlet sells cheaper, if you go to other fuel station they sell a litre at N230.”
Iwuji said it was better to be patient and buy at N179 than to buy from stations which you are not sure of even their metre.
He observed, “The situation affect our business because there is no way I will buy fuel at N230 and still collect N50 as transport fare.”
Iwuji who runs a daily returns for the owner of the vehicle said he has to feed his family from the proceeds after maintaining the vehicle as expected, “ I expect to feed my family from here and make daily returns to my boss.”
Sadly, however, he stated that not all commuters are ready to pay the N100 fare, “sometimes passengers beg they don’t have money and there is nothing you can do than to collect what they can offer.”
Another commercial transporter, Sam Madumere told The Tide Metro that most of the other fuel stations sell for 250, “it’s going to one month now, I buy my fuel here and I don’t mind staying on the queue to buy.”
Madumere said he has spent an hour on the queue already to fill his tank. As he beamed with smile just as the attendant filled his tank, he said the time was worthwhile, “ I have gone round the whole of town and this is the only place I have bought at this price.”
Another vehicle owner who gave his name as St Bush told The Tide Metro that, “today the queue is not too long. If you come here sometimes, It will take you some hours, but today it’s quick.”
Bush says he comes all the way from other side of town to buy because he trusts the measurement.
Susan Serakana, a private vehicle owner blames the situation to the Christmas season, “if you observe whenever the Christmas is approaching fuel pump price will go up. A week ago I bought at Royal Dynasty station at N250 per litre and I spent N30, 000 to fill my tank.”
Serekana disclosed that she came all the way from Ada George to buy fuel at old Port Harcourt Township, saying she trusts in the guage, “if you buy here you are sure of what you buy.”
Another private car owner, Balafama Godknows, blames the situation on hoarders. “I don’t think there increase in the price of fuel by the government. The fuel retailers are hoarding products,” he insisted.
As far as he was concerned the official pump price is N165, as he wondered why some retailers are selling far above the approved price.
“Even the N179 we buy from NNPC is not the normal price, but it seems this new price has come to stay.”
Godknows told The Metro Tide that he learnt that fuel sells for N250 at Lagos State, “ so if its true, I don’t need to complain but to buy where it’s cheaper.”
Meanwhile, Zonal Chairman of Ijaw Youth Council (IYC), Comrade Ibim Ibiwari has blamed the current hike in fuel price to policy and regulation of the downstream petroleum sector.
Ibiwari observed that failure of the government to harness the artisanal refining by youths in the Niger Delta have affected availability of products.
“If you look around, the refineries are not working and we are importing petrol which is not sufficient for local consumption and so you can’t control price hike in the system,” Ibiwari said.
One way to reverse the situation, he remarked, is for the federal government to harness artisanal refining such that it will reduce the gap in product availability, “besides it will also provide jobs for youths in the Niger Delta.”

By: Kevin Nengia