Benin city – Despite suspension of the nationwide strike on Monday, by Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), there are long queues of vehicles at filling stations, extending to major roads in parts of Benin city, Edo state capital.
The strike which lasted hours, Fortune Obi, National Public Relations Officer of PENGASSAN, said, was called-off following intervention of the Minister of Labour, Chris Ngige and Department of State Security (DSS).
Some motorists who spoke with the Nigerian Observer, lamented that, the long queues is causing traffic gridlock, while calling on the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation(NNPC) to make available adequate Premium Motor Spirit(PMS) known as Fuel.
Speaking, Mr Steven Genesis, said, government should take responsibility for the queues, hence they should make the product available.
Mr Genesis, a commercial bus driver, said he spent three hours on the queue at the petrol station along Akpakpava Road.
“This long queue is a disgrace to the entire nation. The government should make fuel available at any price instead of this suffering, though I bought at same price of N145”, he said.
Also, Dr Manager Esiri, who said he had spent two hours at the NNPC Mega Station along Sapele road, called on federal government to sanction petroleum marketers hoarding the product.
He added, “if this product is available, people will not stand here to waste time, imagine I had been here for two hours before it gets to my turn”.
The strike which earlier led to panic buying of the products across the country, a taxi driver, Mr Eugene, said, resulted to filling stations resorting to hoarding thereby creating artificial scarcity.
“When petroleum dealers got the news of the suspension of the strike, they now started selling and not all of them will start selling at once but I believe before Christmas the queue may go”, he added.
However, as motorists and commuters continues to feel the impart of nonavailability of PMS, especially this Yuletide, black marketers of the product have taken positions at strategic locations in the Benin metropolis.
Meanwhile, Edo State Government has disclosed plans to commence monitoring of petrol stations and marketers across the state from Wednesday to prevent hoarding of PMS during the yuletide.
The Commissioner for Oil, Gas & Solid Minerals, Hon. Joseph Ugheoke, who disclosed this to newsmen at government house, Benin city, warned that errant stations will shut.
