By Musa Tanimu Nasidi
Fuel scarcity has continued to worsen in Lokoja, the Kogi State capital and its environs, as a liter now sells between N400 to N500 at filling stations and black market, respectively.
Investigation conducted by THEANALYSTNG,on Wednesday in Lokoja, revealed that majority of the fillings stations in Lokoja, State capital,are hoarding the product, refused to sell to the public.
“Most of fuel stations have the product,they only sell it to black marketers at night who later sell it to public at exorbitant prices as high as ₦600 per litre ” said our sources.
A visit to A.A. Rano filling station, by the popular Ganaja junction, saw a very long queue stretching from the station to a distance of almost a kilometer.
The situation is the same at the Mobil fuel station by Obasanjo square, where a long queue was also noticed.
Though the two stations are selling at the approved pump prize, motorists, however, said the correctness of the quantity of fuel dispensed could not be ascertained, while those who bought in cans alleged that the meters may have been adjusted
When our correspondent visited Master Energy station located at the Lokoja International Market, it was discovered that the station was selling the product for N240 per liter.
Unfortunately, the NNPC fuel stations in Lokoja and its environs were not selling. A transporter, Nasiru Tijani said this has compounded their problems.
“The NNPC stations are not selling at all. If they are selling, it would have been easier. Now our problem is compounded by their refusal to sell,” Tijani lamented
In Okene and Ajaokuta in the central Senatorial district of the State, the product is selling for between N220 to N240 per liter.
A motorist, Salami Jamiu said he bought the product in Ajaokuta for N220 per liter, adding that there is fuel in almost all the stations in Ajaokuta.
In Anyigba and its environs in Kogi East, the product is hardly available, as the people have to make do with black market, which sells for between N400 to N600 a liter, a situation the commuters said had force transporters to increase their fares.
According to one of the passengers at the Idah loading point in Lokoja, Mall Isah Acheku, the fare which is previously N1000, has been jacked up to between N2000 and N2500.
He called on the Federal Government to resolve the issue, as the situation was already telling on them and their families
