Residents Engage In Panic Buying Where There Are Supplies
Rumours about resurfacing of queues at filling stations in parts of Lagos Metropolis, as a result of alleged scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol or fuel , has led to panic buying of the product by Lagosians in places where there are supplies.
In Maza-maza, Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, most of the filling stations visted had to supply. Radio Nigeria drove the entire stretch of the Ojo, Road from Maza-maza to Agboju down to Satellite Town without sighting a single filling station having the product.
The only station with supply , which is located near the FESTAC First Gate at the Maza Maza end of the Lagos-Badagry Expressway was as at 1pm crowded by both motorists and those that came with gericans to buy fuel.
However, despite the crowd of buyers, the product was still being dispensed at #162 per liter.
All over the places at Maza-maza, Agboju, Satellite Town, Mile Two and FESTAC, in Amuwo Odofin Local Government Area, people were seen running heltar skelter in search of filling stations with supplies.
A school bus attendant said she traveled several kilometers in search of fuel in order to avoid hitches in transporting their pupils and students to their homes when school dismisses.
Our correspondent who monitored the situation at Ajah, Lekki, Victoria Island and Ikoyi on the Island, reported that there seemed to be some level of anxiety and confusion by residents there as fuel scarcity appeared to have hit the areas.
In the last four days, there has been an unusual long queues of vehicle at various filling stations in Ikoyi, Victoria Island and the Lekki axis while some of the filling stations are not dispensing the product.
The situation has further compounded the chaotic traffic movement in and around the affected axis, due to long queues of vehicles in search of petrol.
Some motorists have argued that some filling stations were hoarding the product and engaging in black market sales despite assurance of availability of the product by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company, NNPC.
For passengers, the situation has also led to traffic gridlock in the affected areas and as much as two hundred percent increase in transportation fares.
Meanwhile, most filling stations in Lekki and Ajah have remained under lock as they claimed non availability of the product.
In the same vein, filling stations in some parts of Oworonsoki and other places in the Mainland of Lagos have been seen to be jam-packed with vehicles and some people trying to fill their Jerry cans.
Those who had access to the filling stations alleged that they had to part with some money before fuel attendants sold the product at an increased price.
The situation is believed to be hampering vehicular movements particularly in areas where filling stations are situated.
Some of those who spoke with Radio Nigeria said they spent hours before buying petrol and also expressed fear of likely increase in prices of goods and services.
