..black marketers surface
By Modibbo Ahmed
The lingering crisis over shortage of fuel otherwise referred to as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) has yet to abate in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, findings have shown.
This came amid the unwholesome activities of black marketers in areas such as Post-Office, Maraba, who sold fuel in gallons at exorbitant prices to desperate users.
At a few filling stations where the commodity was dispensed yesterday, motorists, motorcyclists and the likes endured the hectic time to get the product.
It was observed that they all scrambled upon being informed that some filling stations dispensed to the public.
Investigation revealed that while fueling stations along Taiwo, Unity and New Yidi Roads were completely shut against the public, motorists and motorcycle owners tried to outdo one another at Fossil filling station at Asa-Dam junction connecting New Yidi Road around 11:30am when this medium visited yesterday.
Further finding showed that the mega station of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) along Asa-Dam Road dispensed fuel to the public in the early hours of yesterday before exhausting its stock.
Except for the two major retail outlets, other stations along Asa-Dam Road were closed against members of the public.
At Bovas station located at Offa Garage Roundabout, motorists and fuel users besieged it in a bid to procure the product.
This medium observed long queues of cars and motorcycles at the station while the pump price of N162 per litre of fuel was maintained.
Another visit to a filling station near Air Force Base, a stone throw distance to Ola-Olu Area of Ilorin showed that premium motor spirit was being dispensed as at 1pm.
Motorists and motorbike owners scrambled to procure the product before the stock was exhausted.
It was same scenario at Olak filling station on the same route where employees of the station manned entry gate to disallow unauthorized potential buyers from making way into the premises of the station.
The petrol stations at Challenge, Station, Muritala Mohammed Way up to GSS Area of Ilorin were completely shut.
None of the attendants at the stations were willing to speak on the development when our Correspondent approached them but rather directed him to their superiors, who were also not ready to comment.
The Controller of the Nigeria Mainstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in Kwara State, Aminu Musa Bala, neither picked nor returned calls made to his mobile telephone line to inquire about the situation.
A text message sent to him was also not replied as of the time of filing this report yesterday.
