Long queues persist as fuel scarcity lingers in Kwara
Commuters and motorists have continued to groan as fuel scarcity persists in Ilorin and its environs.
Findings showed that many filling stations owned by independent marketers remained shut, while majority of those owned by major marketers were not also dispensing the commodity.
It would be recalled that Members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) last week threatened to shut down all their filing stations in Kwara state if federal government did not caution private depot owners selling premium motor spirit (PMS) above regulated prices to their members.
The association lamented that only three trucks were been loaded for them in Ibadan depot while Massimi depot had also reduced the volume of products sent to Ilorin.
The chairman of IPMAN in Kwara, Alhaji Okanlawon Olanrewaju said during a press briefing that if proper steps were not taken to avert the impending petroleum products scarcity in the state, they might close all filling stations in the state.
In making real their threat, all of them have shut down their filling stations, leading to long queues of vehicles and motorcycles at a few points where filling stations were dispensing fuel in the metropolis yesterday.
The black marketers along Maraba motor park, Murtala Mohammed Way, Ilorin were already having a field day selling a five-litre gallon of fuel for N1,200.
Reacting to the development, the Kwara state chairman of the National Union of Road Transport Workers, Alh Aliyu Issa-Ore, lamented the fuel scarcity in the state, saying that it had inflicted hardship on members of the union.
He appealed for quick intervention of the Federal Government to ameliorate the suffering of the people.
Also, the Nigeria Security and Civil defence Corp (NSCDC) Kwara command yesterday warned petroleum marketers against diversion, hoarding and black market of petroleum products.
A statement signed by the spokesperson of the Corps Mr Henry Bikesanmi in llorin said the corps would revoke operation licenses of any marketer who indulged in sharp practices.