In a move which echoes the bad old days of fuel scarcity, the price of a litre of petrol has skyrocketed to N250 in Benin City, Edo State capital, taking a heavy toll on transportation and socio-economic activities.
Most of the retail outlets on the main streets of Akpakpava street, Airport Road, Agbor Road and Mission Road, Auchi Road, New Lagos Road amongst others were empty as their gates were
firmly locked with “No Fuel” sign conspicuously displayed at the
corners.
However, there was fuel at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega station along Sapele Road where the pump price goes for the officially approved rate of N160 per litre.
Almost all the major retail outlets in Benin lacked the precious liquid while some of the independent marketers who had sold for between N220 and N250 per litre.
An independent marketer on Airport Road, Voe Petrol sold a litre of the scarce commodity strictly in Jerry cans for N200, resulting in a long line of jerry cans by buyers who waited patiently in the hot sun.
At great risk, some motorists stood on the line at the NNPC Mega Station which stretched almost a kilometre, waiting for hours to buy fuel at the retail outlet, resulting in a traffic hold up on the road as a result of the bedlam.
A motorist who simply gave his name as Osaze lamented: “I went to many retail outlets here in Benin in a desperate effort to buy petrol.
Almost everywhere I went, the price was between N200 and N250 a litre. Left with no choice, I decided to go to Mega Station where I waited for over four hours before I managed to buy.”
The renewed scarcity has since affected transport fares within Benin metropolis as commercial tri-cyclists popularly called Keke and taxis have increased their fares.
The transport fare in either a taxi or tri-cyclist from downtown Ring Road to Ugbowo which before now was N100 has since doubled to N200 while a commuter will have to cough out N250 for a trip from Oba Market to Ekenwan Barracks instead of the erstwhile fare of N200.
Also, the one and a half hours journey from the Edo State capital to the northern Edo town of Auchi which was formally N2,000 is now N2,500.
