Fuel scarcity bites harder in Abuja

CONFUSION was the order of the day on Thursday, in Abuja, as fuel scarcity saga, which began on Wednesday, worsened in the federal capital city, even as the causative factor(s) became only speculative.

The nation’s oil marketers had earlier threatened to go on strike, fuelling suspicion that the warning could have given rise to panic buying and concomitant hoarding of the commodity.

There were however, hints that tanker drivers have ceased lifting supplies to the fuels stations in the Federal Capital Territory.

Already, the Coordinating Minister of Economy and Finance Minister, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, met with the oil marketers on Wednesday to address issues raised in their threat to embark on strike.

The Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, also yesterday, in Abuja, appealed to oil marketers to shelve their strike and allow Nigerians celebrate the Eid-el-Fitr.

The minister, who noted the queues at the fuel stations in the Federal Capital Territory, pleaded with the tanker drivers to resume transportation of the product to Abuja.

According to her, the Federal Government was taking necessary steps to address their grievances.

She assured the tanker drivers that the Ministry of Finance would ensure that the situation was addressed and marketers paid their genuine claims.

“It’s with a great deal of concern that the Ministry of Petroleum Resources has noticed the increasing queues at our filling stations, particularly in Abuja.

Culled from guardian