Dare Alabi, a petroleum marketer, based in Lagos, Nigeria has explained why the Eastern part of Nigeria continues to see uninterrupted supply of petroleum products.
Alabi said, “Filling stations in the East are wet because the traditional pump price of fuel hovers between N150 and N180. Market forces have traditionally determined the price of petrol in states like Abia, Anambra, Ebonyi, Imo, Akwa Ibom, Calabar and others in that region.
Nsikak Etuk, a real estate manager based in Uyo said, “I just bought a full tank of fuel for my wife. Akwa Ibom is an easy going state.”
Mr. Etuk’s words echoed the sentiment of a user who posted on Nigeria’s leading Forum website, Nairaland.
Noblezone responded to a thread entitled, ‘Why There Is No Fuel Scarcity In The South East?’, “Reason is very simple. We dont depend on government to survive.
We are more concerned about the availability of fuel than the cost of it. Marketers being fuel to the East because they are assured of their money. We drive inn, buy and drive out. Did you see any “Silly Subsidy Protests” in the East? No, we have more important things to do. Subsidy removal would have been the best for Nigeria, but the cabal who benefit from it, deceived the gullible.”
Gbenga, a resident of Ikoyi, Lagos told The Herald, “Everyone in Lagos is looking for how to get fuel but I have a transporter who frequents the East regularly and I asked him to bring me some fuel. He said a litre is N180 and I have no complaints. Infact I will even give him an extra N3000 or so for the risk he is taking transporting fuel interstate. The product should not be transported such long distances.
“I know a lot of people like to blame Jonathan but the truth is he tried to free us from the shackles of subsidy in 2012 and we told him to go to hell. Nigerians have to realize that fuel subsidy is an unsustainable economic practice and scam. Anyway Buhari has already said nothing like subsudy again and this is why these marketers are trying to bring the nation to their knees. As far as Lagos is suffering, then the whole Nigerian economy can be said to be suffering.”
Our correspondent learned from sources at a local airline that domestic air travel had significantly reduced and only some international airlines that fuelled their passenger jets before traveling to Nigeria could operate.