By Ogochukwu Isioma in Benin City
Long queues have re-emerged at petrol stations in Benin City, the Edo State capital, as operators responded to the removal of subsidy on petrol with a sharp hike in pump price, just as consumers crowded to the petrol stations.
During his inauguration as Nigeria’s President, yesterday, May 29, Bola Ahmed Tinubu in his inaugural speech, had stated that “petroleum subsidy is gone”.
Checks by METROWATCHXTRA.COM late Monday in Benin showed that some petrol stations responded to the development by increasing their prices to about N350 from the initial N205 per litre.
Petrol stations ‘hoard’ fuel
Further checks by our correspondent showed that most petrol stations who were selling fuel before the announcement, simply shut their stations against consumers.
A pump attendant at one of the popular filling stations along the ever-busy Benin-Ore road, who craved anonymity, said they were simply obeying directives from their boss.
“Oga say make we lock am, say them wan increase fuel. Na normal thing, if e(fuel) go up, we go sell, na we go gain am,” the male staff said in a chit-chat with our correspondent.
Some of the affected filling stations visited along the Benin-Ore expressway that shut their stations include Conoil, Shafa, Chico Energy, Nipco, AP, Kingdom Energy.
Only a branch of the NNPC and Nipco near Oluku, and PetCom, Ugbowo dispensed petrol and rationed the product among the motorists at irregular prices. Long queues were sighted at those stations.
Motorists hike fares
Meanwhile, commercial transporters in the city have also hiked their trip fares in response to the removal of subsidy on petrol by the new Nigerian leader.
Commuters were seen stranded at various bus stops waiting to board commercial bus which may have been trapped in the long queues that greeted the petrol subsidy removal.
Few of the buses that were on the road for business hiked the fares between 50 and 100 per cent over fear of impending scarcity. Some destinations which were hitherto N100 is now between N150 – N200.
A commercial bus driver, who gave his name simply as Nosa, told our correspondent that Tinubu started off as President on a “bad note” by deciding to “punish” Nigerians on his first day in office.
Black marketers count gains
A visit by our correspondent at some black marketers in town, showed that the independent marketers have also adjusted their prices in response to the removal of subsidy on petrol.
It was learned that the product which hitherto sold at N300 per litre, is now sold between N400 and N450 depending on the location and the amount of litres a consumer is interested in.
Pundits say the situation might worsen in the coming days as workers and business owners return to work today after the holiday declared for the children’s day which fell over the weekend, and inauguration of the new president.
