Residents of Ekiti State are facing challenging times due to a scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petroleum, in all the 16 local government areas of the state.
The few fuel stations that are selling the product have increased the price to between N680 and N750 per litre.
Currently, there are only a few vehicles and transporters operating on the roads in Ado-Ekiti.
Due to the scarcity, most residents are now relying on motorcycles, commonly known as Okadas, for transportation.
For example, the Poly Road along the Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD) axis, which used to be congested with traffic, is now free since Tuesday morning when the fuel scarcity intensified.
Some petrol marketers who have the product are deliberately not selling it, leading to long queues at the few places where it is available and resulting in consumers being exploited.
Speaking in confidence to PREMIUM TIMES, some marketers mentioned that they are holding back from buying fuel because of the possibility of Dangote refinery beginning sales at a lower price.
They prefer to wait and observe how things unfold in the upcoming weeks.
Residents interviewed by PREMIUM TIMES expressed their frustration with the government’s policies and questioned what actions were being taken to address the situation.
Kayode Ogunleye, a resident of Ado Ekiti, urged the state government’s Task Force to take action.
Another resident and Okada rider, James Oguntuase, blamed the marketers for the hardships being experienced.
He highlighted the need for accountability and criticized the marketers for their actions.
On the other hand, some residents feel that the Petroleum Product Regulation and Consumer Protection Agency in Ekiti State and the petroleum task force team have not been effective in resolving the issue.
They called on Governor Biodun Oyebanji to ensure the task force is proactive.
Chairman of the Petroleum Product Regulation and Consumer Protection Agency in Ekiti State, Arinka Odunayo, mentioned that his agency is working on addressing the issue with the fuel stations allegedly hoarding fuel.
He stated that they will enforce the approved price and have scheduled a meeting with the marketers for next Monday.