Fuel Scarcity: Ibadan Residents Resort to Trekking as Litre of Petrol Sells Up to N250

 

Some residents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital have resorted to trekking, even at a long distance due to the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit also known as Petrol and the high rate of transport fares.

 

This is as a result of the nationwide scarcity of petrol which goes between N150 and 250 in some parts of the ancient city.

 

A DailyPost correspondent who went round the city on Thursday and Friday observed hundred of commuters trekking long distance due to scarcity of vehicles and commercial motorcycles in many parts of the city.

 

Many bus-stops within the city are currently flooded with commuters who were stranded as they waited endlessly to no avail.

 

Transport fare that goes for N100 from Mokola to Ojoo is now between 200 and 250. The one from Gate to UI is now N150-N200 instead of N100. From Ajibode Junction to Ojoo is now N50 instead of N20. This applied to other areas visited on Friday.

 

This according to some of them made those who can trek to resort to such in areas such as Ajibode, Apete, UI, Ojoo, Secretariat, Ogunpa, Dugbe and Mokola among others.

 

Many filling stations that were partially selling the product on Tuesday and Wednesday were under lock and key when our correspondent visited them on Thursday and Friday.

 

Those that were selling were doing so between 150 and 250.

 

A resident of Ologun-Eru told a reporter on Friday that some of the petrol stations selling the product in his area were selling between 150 and 185 per litre.

 

The scarcity has also afforded some youths in areas such as Mokola, Sabo and Ajibode to turn the situation in making brick business by selling 4-5 litres of Petrol at the rate of N1500- N3000 depending on the bargaining power of the prospective buyer.

 

A resident of Ajibode who begged not to be mentioned informed that he had spent many hours at a petrol station on Thursday to no avail but had to go out as early as 6.am to search for the product..

 

Another resident of Ibadan noted that though the petrol is still sell at the normal price in his area, but it will take one about 5 hours before he can get the product.

 

He said, “They are still selling at the normal price of N140. But it is a very long queue, you will spend up to five hours before you get it. But those selling black market, they sell four litres for N1500."

 

A cross section of those who also spoke with our correspondent appealed to the government to find a lasting solution to the persistent problem.