It was tales of lamentation yesterday across the states of the federation over the lingering fuel scarcity and poor electricity supply. Businessmen, civil servants, transporters and commuters said they are experiencing untold hardship due to the unavailability of premium motor spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol in most filling stations. Small and Medium Scale Enterprises (SMEs) that depend largely on fuelpowered generating sets, have been feeling the negative impact of the crisis and counting their losses.
Business activities have been grounded over the fuel and power challenges. In the last couple of weeks, prices of commodities and services have risen by almost 100 per cent while transportation fares have been hiked. Incidentally, the finances of most Nigerians have been badly affected as many complained that there is no money to spend.
Motorists, commuters, artisans and other residents of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) yesterday lamented that the energy crisis had taken its toll on their lives and means of livelihood as prices of goods and services have skyrocketed in recent days. There were, however, signs that the fuel shortage was beginning to ease off, in the nation’s capital and its environs as most filling stations that were shut down over the weekend were seen either taking delivery of petroleum products or dispensing these products to motorists and other people who needed them to survive.
As at yesterday, the queues were still long and visible in all the filling stations while transport fares across all routes which was increased weeks ago as a consequence of petrol scarcity is yet to come down. A survey conducted in Abuja, Nigeria’s Federal Capital Territory (FCT) showed that prices of goods and services have been doubled since the scarcity began about one month ago. A modu of rice, which sold between N200 and N300 before the scarcity, has gone up to N500. Prices of other foodstuffs have equally gone up. There is also a marginal increase in intra-city transport fares while inter-city transport services have gone up to about 100 per cent.
There is equally concern over the poor electricity supply in the country. The fuel crisis being experienced all over the country is so severe in Lagos. Many motorists spent hours in filling stations trying to buy fuel yesterday.
This has affected the cost of living. In most parts of Lagos, independent marketers sold a litre of fuel for N170. There were gridlocks on major roads in Lagos yesterday occasioned by long queues in some of the filling stations that dispensed fuel.
The combined effects of the lingering fuel scarcity and erratic supply of electricity are taking their toll on the residents of Kaduna as they now pay higher prices for most goods and services, New Telegraph has found out. Small business owners complained of poor patronage because, according to Mama Iyabo, “the increase in price is scaring some of our customers away.” According to Mama Iyabo, who operates two grinding machines that run on electricity and petrol respectively, said: “Nowadays that there is no light, I rely on the one that uses petrol. But getting fuel at black market is a problem.”
In Plateau State, the citizens lamented over the fuel scarcity, which has resorted in hike in transport fares. The situation has further been compounded with the poor electricity supply in the state. Many businesses in Jos, the Plateau State capital, have been negatively impacted with the development.
Residents of Adamawa State are groaning as acute fuel scarcity hit the state. The economy of the state has been affected as transport fares and prices of commodities have skyrocketed. “As you can see, transport fare has skyrocketed. From Jimeta to Yola is now about N150; we used to pay N80,” Danladi Musa, a Yola resident, laments. Business activities have continued to suffer in Adamawa following incessant power outage across the 21 local government areas. Many business owners are finding it difficult to operate due to lack of power supply and non-availability of petrol. “SMEs are worst hit in the present petrol and power crises bedevilling Nigeria.
The crisis has made goods, commodities and services increase in terms of prices,” Muhammad Ismail, a Yola-based commentator, told New Telegraph, observed. In Kano, life is gradually becoming difficult to bear as prices of virtually everything have gone up. The lack of electricity has made the situation worse. Our correspondent, who went round Kano, observed that virtually all the filling stations are not selling fuel while the black market operators have a field day. Dr. Abubakar Dansani lamented that Nigerians are facing difficulties occasioned by the fuel scarcity and poor electricity supply. The situation is not better in Cross River.
The prices of foodstuffs have gone up while transport fares have increased. On the epileptic power supply, many parts of Calabar municipality have been without light for months. For instance, residents of Atimbo have lived without light for more than two months, and with the scarcity of fuel in the state, their hardship can better be imagined.
A welder at the Atimbo/ Edim Otop junction of Calabar municipality told our correspondent that since there was no light and the fuel scarcity was biting hard, he lost his customers because he could not afford petrol regularly to do his job. Major roads, linking Asaba metropolis in Delta State, to its environs and neighbouring states, like Anambra and Edo, have been devoid of their everbusy vehicular movement. No thanks to the acute fuel scarcity across the state.
The ever-busy Nnebisi road within Asaba metropolis and the popular Okpanam road witnessed low vehicular movement as commuters took to trekking. The chairman of the Delta State wing of the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Chief Ifeanyi Obi, lamented the low patronage. He said: “For some weeks now, the cost of living and transportation had been unbearable. No fuel, no water, no electricity, businesses are at a standstill. Instead of enjoying breath of life, we consume generator fume on hourly basis.
Still, we are compelled to pay for service not rendered through obnoxious electricity bills.” In Lokoja, the Kogi State capital, the high price of petrol has adversely created discomfort among the residents of the state. Most motorists in Lokoja, the state capital, have now settled for Okada, as they can no longer afford the exorbitant price of fuel. Transport fares within and outside the state have risen to over 50 per cent due to fuel scarcity. In Niger State, the epileptic power supply and non-availability of petroleum products have left people of the state in bad shape.
A civil servant with the NECO, Duduwa Abdullahi, while lamenting the poor power supply said: “Power supply is worst now; we hardly sleep at night because Minna is very hot. No light, no fuel to use for the generator, and I don’t even go out with my car because I cannot queue for days.” In Osun, the effects of the fuel scarcity and poor power supply have crippled businesses in the state. For instance, saw millers, welders, iron benders, saloon shop operators, cold room operators and some big companies in Osun State now find it difficult to operate. Prices of foodstuffs have also risen by 80 per cent. For instance, the price of Gari which used to be N100, now costs between N150 to N170; a bag of rice being sold for N10,000 is now N13,000 while a 25-litre keg of groundnut oil earlier being sold for N6,000 now costs N10,300.
The lingering fuel scarcity and poor power supply in Rivers State has caused an increase in the prices of foods and services. People are now spending more to run their businesses, and maintain their lifestyles. For John Edokpae, a native of Edo State, who runs a football-viewing centre in Port Harcourt to support his work as a carpenter, despite buying fuel for N180 per litre to power his viewing centre, viewers have refused to pay N100 from the N50 he used to charge.
