By Kazeem Akolawole
Fuel queues have returned across Abuja fuel stations as President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced the end of the subsidy regime for the premium motor spirit (PMS) in Nigeria.
The queues began almost immediately the President said there will be no fuel subsidy in his administration as he was inaugurated on Monday to pilot the affairs of government in the next four years.
Africa Health Report, AHR, check on a fuel station in the Bannex area of Abuja showed that a liter of fuel was sold at N250 while it sold for N500 to N600 at the black market.
Despite price hikes, motorists had to succumb to a long queue with no hope of getting the product at that particular time.
Mr. Sunday Orjiako, who spoke with AHR opined that the fuel price hike is not necessary but the pronouncement by the President sent panic messages to marketers.
He said the President should have settled down instead of making announcements that the subsidy is gone in his inaugural speech on Monday.
“This has brought untold hardships to Nigerians and already stressed economic activity due to naira redesign troubles early this year,” he added.
Also, in Kubwa, AHR gathered that the only fuel station dispensing the product at phase 4 along the expressway was dispensing at N250 per liter.
Efforts to reach the fuel station manager proved abortive as those attendants on duty declined to comment on the issue.
At the time of filling this report, it was observed that most of the fuel stations in the areas visited were under lock as there’s no confirmation whether they are out of product supply or not.
