Business and social ac
tivities in Rivers State are being paralysed as a result of the worsening fuel situation.
Motorists do not have the product to buy as over 80% of the filling stations in Port Harcourt, the capital city and its environs remain closed for lack of supply of the product.
The Tide correspondent who visited some of the stations reports that only the Conoil station near Leventis Motors on Aba Road was selling as at yesterday afternoon.
The station had long queues with a crowd of people struggling to buy with jerry cans. The filling station was selling at the official pump price of N97.00 per litre but some consumers alleged that the pump had been adjusted.
Akandu Johnson, one of the buyers said he had spent two hours yet no hope of success, adding that attention appeared to be given to black marketers.
The fuel situation has forced most car owners to park their vehicle. At the Rivers  State  Secretariat the car park was empty yesterday, as most civil servants could not afford to drive their cars to work.
The situation has forced the transport fare higher. NDDC commercial buses that ply Port Harcourt-Ahoada route with three passengers per seat now load four passengers at the same fare of N500.00 per person.
Chidi Amanya, one of the drivers said, “Increasing the number of passengers at same fare is a strategy to meet up the cost of buying fuel.
He said they buy a litre of fuel at the cost of N130.00 and above. But the problem is that you don’t even see the fuel to buy” he lamented.
The number of commercial buses and taxis on Port Harcourt roads has reduced, raising the fear that there may soon be a fare increase in Port Harcourt city.

Chris Oluoh