By MUHAMMAD ADAM

Acute fuel scarcity has hit Yola the Adamawa capital as long queues of vehicles resurfaced at most filling stations.

A Correspondent of the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), who monitored the situation on Sunday reports that the acute scarcity of the product worsen in Yola metropolis in the past few days.

Most of the servicing stations were under lock and key, while the few available ones were dispensing the product at N220 per litre above the N165 approved pump price.

At the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and other major marketers had long queues of motorists who spent several hours on queues to refill their vehicles.

The situation also led to the resurgence of black operators who sold the product at exorbitant prices.

Some of the motorists who spoke with NAN decried the situation, saying it had exposed them to difficulties.

Malam Auwalu Adamu, a commercial bus operator, said that he spent about five hours on queue to refill his tank.

“The situation is worrisome, and it affected my business because I waited many hours on the queue to refill my vehicle,” he said.

Another motorist, Hussaini Isa, said that he bought four-litre of petrol at N1,200 at the black outlets.

Reacting, Alhaji Dahiru Buba, Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) incharge of Adamawa and Taraba States, attributed the scarcity to hikes in landing cost at the NNPC deport in Port Harcourt.

Buba said that their members were lifting the product at N180 per litre at Port Harcourt deport, adding that they also spent N18 on transportation of the product from Port Harcourt to Adamawa.

Also, Ishaku Zira, a black market operator, who described the trade as lucrative, said that he was enjoying appreciable patronage occasined by the fuel scarcity.

He said that a litre of petrol was sold at N300 while a four-litre goes for N1,200. (NAN)

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