Fuel crisis worsens in Ilorin... petrol stations shut, litre sells for N200, passengers resort to trekking.

The ravaging fuel crisis in Ilorin took a new twist yesterday as several petrol stations within the metropolis remained shut to consumers.

At few stations where the commodity was dispensed, motorists and other users scrambled to buy at N200 per litre.

The crisis, it was learnt, was not unconnected with the ongoing strike by National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN). Findings showed that of about eight stations on New Yidi road Ilorin, only one was selling amidst crowded queues around 2pm when The Herald visited the area.

On Asa-Dam road that hosts six petrol stations, including major and independent stations, none of them opened to customers for business. A filling station (name withheld) around University of Ilorin main campus gate sold a litre of the commodity for N180 with users forming long queues.

The situation was the same in almost every station in Ilorin and its environs as commercial motorists, especially taxi-cab drivers, abandoned their vehicles in search of the scarce commodity.

The Herald observed that the untoward development also manifested among private vehicle owners as many of them parked their cars and opted for commercial vehicles that charged astronomical fare.

Many passengers were stranded at bus stops on account of the situation. Bikers took advantage of the crisis to hike the price of a drop, which was N50, to N100, an increase of 100 per cent.

A passenger, Mr Olatunji Jimoh, who spoke to The Herald on the fuel crisis, expressed concern that government was not doing enough to address the issue.

He stated that the ongoing industrial action by members of NUPENG and PENGASSAN had worsened the situation.

He said, "This situation is worsening every day. We have not seen this government doing anything to tackle it (fuel scarcity).

"Ordinarily, if the government is serious about our welfare, something would have been done to curtail the excesses of fuel dealers. You can see that the fuel price has increased indiscriminately and we cannt even get at petrol stations to buy", he added.