Fuel scarcity has continued to bite harder across Sokoto metropolis despite the suspension of the strike by the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), leaving motorists and commuters stranded as most filling stations remain shut.
A check by our correspondent on Saturday revealed that several filling stations within the city were not dispensing fuel, while a few that opened for business sold at highly inflated prices ranging between N960 and N970 per litre.
Even the NNPC retail outlets, which have about seven stations within the metropolis, were not selling the product, worsening the plight of motorists and commuters.
At the black market, the situation was even more dire as petrol was sold at N1,250 per litre, or N6,500 for a four-litre gallon, forcing many car owners to abandon their vehicles and trek long distances or resort to motorcycles and tricycles for mobility.
One of the motorists, Mallam Abba Umar, condemned what he described as ‘wicked and exploitative’ attitude of petrol marketers in the state, accusing them of hoarding the product to create artificial scarcity.
‘Most petrol marketers in Sokoto are very devilish and wicked. They have fuel but refuse to sell it during the day. They only open at night to sell between N960 and N970 per litre. This is unfair. The state government should intervene to save us from this hardship,’ Umar lamented.
Another motorist, Hajia Rukayyat Bello, who was seen queuing at a filling station along Gusau Road, expressed frustration over the endless wait and rising cost of transportation.
‘I have been on this queue since morning, yet there’s no assurance I will get fuel. We are suffering too much. Transport fares have doubled, and everything in the market is going up because of this scarcity,’ she said.
The persistent fuel shortage has left several major roads in Sokoto almost deserted, with commercial drivers reducing operations due to a lack of fuel.
Residents who spoke with our correspondent called on the Sokoto State Government, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), and other relevant agencies to wade into the crisis and compel marketers to open their stations and sell at the official pump price.