BENIN CITY – The Perennial Scarcity of Petroleum Products, notably premium motor spirit (PMS) has continued to hit Benin City and environs harder with the products price rising with over 50 percent beyond official pump price.
Consequently, long queues of vehicles, with increased anxious buyers have become prominent features in the few filing station that have the product.
When The Nigerian OBSERVER went round Benin City and its metropolis yesterday, virtually all the filling stations along the ever busy Akpakpava Road were closed for business following scarcity of the products.
However, the NNPC Mega filling station on Sapele Road was seen dispensing the product to vehicles in long queues which afforded avenue for ‘Area Boys’ to exploit motorists who by-pass the queues
The few dealers selling the products also cashed in on the scarcity to adjust the fuel pumps to between N140 and N150 per-liter.
At Ugbowo-Oluku axis of Benin City metropolis only few filling stations were opened to motorists as travelers groaned over the abnormal increase in the pump price of the product.
The situation at Siluko Road axis was not different as some dealers were concentrated more on the sale of the product to buyers in jerry-cans at higher cost.
Meanwhile, a member of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Benin depot, who craved anonymity said there was no cause for alarm, as most marketers have resolved to buy the products from Lagos or Port-Harcourt.
He expressed optimism that the products would be available soon with major marketers buying the product from private depots.
He explained that the current trend of scarcity may not be unconnected to the restructural of NNPC by President Muhammadu Buhari, with a view to eradicating the cabals in the ministry.
