Acute scarcity of fuel has hit Anambra State, with transport fares doubling for most routes following the jump in the prize of fuel from the oficial N87 per litre to about N200 per litre in most filling stations.

As early as 7:00 a.m. yesterday morning, vehicles had lined up along the Enugu – Onitsha Expressway in a desperate bid to buy fuel from NNPC, the only filling station in the state still selling fuel at the official rate of N87 per litre.

The queue, which started from the NNPC mega station gate to Kwata Junction, stretching for about two kilometers, had motorists sitting patiently inside their cars for their turn to buy fuel.

Speaking to News Express, Mr. Chukwuma Iloadi, a civil servant, said that he came out as early as 5:30 a.m. to be able to be in the front of the queue.

He said: “I don’t really really know where this country is going to. Today we are up, tomorrow we are at the lowest ebb. I never expected we will still have fuel issues at this time, not to talk of of it being this bad.

“How can you buy a litre of fuel for N200 or N250 for your car and then buy for the generator at home? – because there is no light. It is a terrible situation and the poor masses are the ones suffering it. Those in government don’t feel this pain we feel at all.”

Godfrey Ugo, a commercial driver who plies the Awka – Onitsha route, said that he would rather spend the entire day to get fuel from NNPC rather than leave, saying that buying from the regular fuel stations or black market is a waste of time.

“At the end of the day when you calculate your returns and remove your fuel money, you have nothing left to make account. Times are hard; there is no money anywhere and when you charge passengers, they will start complaining – some even cursing you as if you are the cause. I don’t know if these our leaders want us to run away from this country for them,” he said.

News Express found that the ordeal of motorists in the state have been compounded by the shady deals by officials of the NNPC mega station, which has resorted to selling fuel at night to independent marketers who, in turn, sell at exorbitant prices in their stations. At other times, the officials would close their roller mini gate on the excuse that their generating set had broken down.

The effect of the high cost of fuel is that many vehicles have been off the road, thereby eliminating the usual traffic on most major roads in the state while those who manage to keep their vehicles on the road charge exorbitant rates.

For example, a trip to Onitsha from Awka by TRACAS which before the scarcity cost N200 now cost N250 while other commercial vehicles plying the same route now charge N250 to N300 even if one would drop on the way. Those going to Enugu from Awka now charge N500 as against the usual N300. Okada riders, on their part now charge a minimum of N100 to N200 per drop depending on the distance, while some people have resorted to trekking to be able to make ends meet.

For long distance journeys, those traveling from Awka to Abuja and Lagos now pay N8,000, as against N4,000.

•Photo shows fuel queue.

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