Nigeria: Fuel Crisis Grounds Economy

The lingering fuel crises caused by the refusal of oil marketers to lift and supply petroleum products until their demand for payment of oil subsidy is met by the federal government, appear to have affected virtually every sector of the Nigerian economy.

Judicial activities at the various courts in Lagos were halted as those who managed to sit adjourned abruptly.

In Enugu State, all the roads were deserted as the exorbitant cost of petrol forced motorists who could not afford to pay N200 per litre to either abandon their vehicles and trek or use commercial means of transportation.


Also in Anambra State, business and social activities were almost shut down due to the crises. The price of petrol as at yesterday is said to have risen to between N180 to N250 per litre.

Unfortunately, Mega stations from which some car owners rely upon to buy fuel during the weekends have not been selling for the past one week. According to eye witness account, the ever busy Expressway that traverse Anambra and Enugu states were deserted while the entire state looked like a ghost town.


In the same vein, airline operators have trimmed down on their operations with Aero Contractors not being able to operate 80 per cent of its domestic flights while Arik Air on the other hand has reduced the number of its flight operations within the domestic routes.

Aero in an online statement signed by its management, stated that in the last few weeks it had not been receiving regular supply of the product, adding that the development had made the airline to cancel, delay and reschedule flights.

The spokesman for Arik Air, Banji Ola explained that Arik Air international flights to both London and JFK in the United States fly to Kano to get aviation fuel before embarking on their journeys, implying that aircraft designated for London and JFK routes would fly to Kano to refuel before heading to their destinations.

On its part, British Airways Regional Commercial Manager, West Africa, Kola Olayinka debunked speculations that airlines now fly to Accra, Ghana to buy aviation fuel. For British Airways, he said, it has not got to that extent as the airline was still managing to operate its flights.

Reacting to the situation, former governor of Kaduna State, Balarabe Musa, in a chat with Daily Independent, described the outgoing Goodluck Jonathan-led administration as irresponsible over its handling of the ongoing fuel scarcity.


While lamenting that Nigerians are suffering in the midst of plenty, Musa remarked that the Federal Government is not alive to its responsibilities in curbing the menace of illegal oil bunkering and pipeline vandals who are milking the nation dry through their criminal activities.

"A responsible government will not allow a situation whereby there is no fuel at the filling stations but there are petrol tanks selling fuel beside the filling stations, which means petroleum products which is meant to be sold in the filling stations are being sold outside the filling stations so that those involved can make undue profit".

"The security agencies should be alive to their responsibilities. If any filling station violates the law, such a filling station should be closed down by the government because it is the government that gave licence for them to operate".