Panic As Petrol Hits N400 P/Litre As IPMAN Strike Dries Up Supply

Social and commercial activities were greatly hampered mid-week across Rivers State as the strike action called by members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria IPMAN and Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, entered its third day with full compliance by members.

Scarcity of products started Sunday evening as many petroleum products outlets shut their stations and by Tuesday afternoon the full impact of the strike began to be felt across the state with the black market remaining the only source of products.

This pushed the price of petroleum motor spirit PMS rising to as much as between N250 and N400 depending on the source and bargaining power of the purchaser.

This resulted in many vehicles staying off the road and commuters having to pay between 50 and a hundred per cent more for fares to and from their destinations. It also forced many to resort to long trekking to their destinations.

Businesses, which depend on PMS were also badly affected as most could not source products to sustain their operations.

Speaking on the strike, NUPENG President, Williams Akporeha, regretted the hardship caused by the strike but insisted that the action had to go on because the Rivers State government failed to respond to the union’s petition to seven days intervene in the alleged extortion and impounding of fuel tankers by security operatives in the state.

The situation is further worsened as the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, in the state also joined the disruption of fuel distribution as two factions of the association engaged in a face-off over differences in the resolution of the ordeal tanker drivers suffer in the hands of multiple anti-illegal fuel security teams chasing tankers loaded with fuel across the state.

According to Nigerian Tribune report many stations that have products could still not sell for fear of the unions thus leading to the usual thriving of the black market.

However, Wednesday morning saw several persons including school children, market women and workers stranded on the road as there were only very few commercial vehicles on the road. Many later resorted to trekking to their destinations.

A distraught mother who was taking her children to school lamented the timing of the strike saying it was very bad to come at the resumption of schools and at the time the economy is biting on households.

The woman, Mrs Chioma Egbuna said; “We don’t know how else to survive in this country. Imagine adding fuel scarcity to school resumption, parents grappling with school feelings, high cost of foodstuff and now fuel scarcity? Just tell me how people are going to cope with all these. May God helps us in this country.”