Despite the expiration of a seven day ultimatum given the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to clear fuel queues in the country, the nation’s capital, Abuja and many cities across the country are still experiencing scarcity of petrol resulting to even longer queues at filling stations.
The Senate had given the NNPC an ultimatum which ended on January 31, to end petrol scarcity. Almost a week after, the situation has not abated.
Motorists spend several hours on long queues waiting to purchase the product from the few stations where it is available.
The ultimatum was part of the resolutions made by the Senate following the adoption of a report by the Joint Committee on Petroleum Resources, which investigated the challenges confronting the downstream sector.
As the ultimatum expires with no respite, illegal fuel vendors, popularly known as ‘black marketers’ are making brisk business selling petrol to desperate motorists in gallons at more than twice the official price for a litre.