By Dada Ahmed in Lokoja.
A few hours after the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, limited announced the new pump price of fuel, ranging from over N400 to over N500 per liter, a long queue of the vehicle disappeared from filling stations in Lokoja and its environs in Kogi state.
Our correspondent who visited Mobil, Rano, and Shafa filling stations among similar facilities in the state capital on Thursday, reports that petrol attendants were seen dispensing fuel to few motorists, motorcyclists, and those buying the product with jerricans with ease, characterized by the seamless process.
However, some of the petrol attendants who spoke with the correspondent of the Reporters expressed concern that there was not much of buying the product by customers.
"Most of them complained of cash crunch as well as the astronomical increase in the price of fuel. What I understand by this is that we now have a situation where a large quantity of fuel chasing a cash crunch.
" Most of the customers(motorists), I learned, are complaining of lack of money and those with little cash on them feel reluctant to buy the product due to the astronomical increase in the pump price of fuel.
" What I understand by their explanation is that we now have a situation liken to fuel chasing cash crunch" a female petrol attendant, who spoke to The Reporters on the condition of anonymity, said.
Our correspondent further reports that Mobil sold a liter of fuel at N538.and Shafa dispensed at the rate of N540 per liter among other filling stations selling the product during the period under review.
The Reporters recalls that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, in his presidential inaugural speech at Eagle Square, Abuja on Monday announced the removal of fuel subsidy, saying that such policy was no more justifiable within the current economic reality of Nigeria.
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited confirmed the new fuel pump price regime in a statement signed by its Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Garba Deen Muhammad in Abuja on Wednesday.
He urged Nigerians to "brace up for harder times as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has confirmed a new price regime for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)."
An investigation by our correspondent revealed that some private car owners, who cannot afford to buy fuel at the new price have parked their cars in preference for boarding commercial motorcycles (Okada) and tricycles, popularly called Kekenape.
"Before the hike in the price of fuel, I used to fill my car tank of 70 litres with N13,000 but now I need N35,000 plus to do so.
"Though the transport fare has also gone up, I have two evils in my hand and I prefer going commercial transportation, leaving my car, at least for now,"Mr. Onotu Michael, a state civil servant, disclosed to our correspondent.
Others are said they had resorted to trekking few distances, instead of boarding kekenapep or riding on "Okada" to accomplish their daily activities.
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