By: Ibrahim Mohammed Funsho
Kwarans, residents of Ilorin, specifically, have continued to languish in the aura fuel scarcity across the state as motorists, households and businesses using generator sets as an alternative source of power supply linger in stark blackout.
Up to the present moment, motorists are seriously whining about the routine difficulties they experience to get PMS, just the way commuters complain bitterly about the fuel scarcity, resulting in suffocating spike in transport fares within the left and right of the State of Harmony.
Meanwhile, the Nigerian government, in a clear term, said it has sufficient petroleum products in stock, thereby debunking insinuations that it has discreetly greenticked N185 as the latest petrol pump price per litre.
A survey conducted by EVENTNG revealed that 95 percent of the filling stations within the Ilorin metropolis is hitherto under locks and keys and the few ones that has petroleum product technically subject motorists to buy at exorbitant prices ranging from ₦310 to 360 and above.
Traffic jam caused by queue at BOVAS filling station, Harmony Estate Junction, Ilorin
For instance, AK IYIBARE (Interbiz Limited) filling station at Shao Garage sells a litre of PMS for ₦310 while other retail stations around the axis such as TotalEnergies, Energy Synergy, Total Comfort and WAKEM, USANDA, Taiwo Integrated Enterprise Toplad filling stations were closed.
Harmony-Lanre Gada axis of the state capital with a line up of about 15 different filling stations such as Abanurat, LAHSAMDAT, SIRFAK Husbolan Energy and Bravo is now experiencing unprecedented quietness as they are under locks and keys due to shortage or scarcity of PMS.
Speaking to this medium, a commercial Okada rider, Saminu revealed that he went through hell before he was able to get PMS to go about his business, he complained further passengers are unwilling to accept the slight increment in fares following fuel scarcity.
He noted that it is now hard for him to get passengers.
Husbolan Petro Station at Akerebiata closed due to fuel scarcity
Another Okada rider who should be in his 50s, also narrated his ugly experience, stating that before the price hike regime, possibly, he used to make about ₦2,000 with fuel of N500, leaving him with about N1,500 as profit at times, but with the current situation, the status quo can no longer be sustained.
Consequently, a walk around the some nooks and crannies of Ilorin convincingly revealed the ripple effects of the current fuel scarcity on the residents of the metropolis, especially around Taiwo area, one of the business districts of the state as commercial activities were grounded with only a few shops open for business. In fact the street witnessed low influx of traffic as both commercial and private motorists blame the development on the shortage of PMS.
More so, the disappearance of the usual gridlocks at Gambari, Alagbado junctions, Post-Office and Oja-Oba during the weekends exemplifies the predicament of fuel scarcity.
Ilorin Motorists, Commuters rain prayers on BOVAS filling Station
The current existential sufferings occasioned by shortage of petroleum products would have been more severe than what is being experienced at present, but residents of Ilorin metropolis, however, have been heaping prayers on owner of BOVAS filling stations for not joining the bandwagon of major retail station owners who want to build humongous fortune from present situation.
An Okada rider patiently to gain entrance into BOVAS filling station at Taiwo Oke, Ilorin
EVENTNG did a tour of some of BOVAS filling stations within Ilorin metropolis and discovered that petro pump price stands at ₦190 per litre, causing motorists and business to flock to various BOVAS branches within city and other urban parts of the state.
At Harmony Estate Junction, Akerebiata, there was a line up of vehicles waiting to gain entrance into the BOVAS filling station to buy PMS at a much lesser price per litre, thereby impeding freeflow of vehicular movement on the narrow road.
This same scenario played out at Taiwo Oke where vehicles, motorcycles and tricycles queued at the gate of BOVAS filling station for donkey hours, blocking one lane of the road and consequently caused a heavy gridlock, denying motorists the opportunity to ply the lane. However, it took the intervention of security personnel to carve a narrow path for road users.
Niger junction with low influx of traffic on Thursday afternoon
Amule Iya-balogun was not spared at all as road users and residents of the community recounted the hardship they go through since the beginning of the fuel scarcity regime as fleet of cars, tricycles and motorcycles blocked the way to their various homes while waiting to get fuel.
