Fuel Scarcity Bites Hard In Owerri, Residents Lament

On Saturday, long lines reformed at multiple filling stations in Owerri, the capital of Imo State.

This is because some filling stations were charging between N250 and N300 per litre for gasoline.

A DAILY POST writer who visited many gas stations in town noticed that they were all locked up.

A ride from Akwakuma to Ware House junction, which used to cost N50, now costs N150, while a trip from World Bank to Control junction, which used to cost N50, now costs N150.

Emaka Opara, a motorist, bemoaned the situation and encouraged the government to find a long-term solution to the issue of gasoline scarcity.

“The government should find a lasting solution to this particular issue because we can’t keep on going this way every time,’’ she said.

At the NNPC filling station at Onitsha Road and few others, motorists queued to buy fuel.

The scarcity has caused untold hardship to residents of the state.

The same scenario played out at Amakohia area as most petrol stations were closed and the few were selling as high as N300 per litre.

One of the salesmen at the Mobile filling station Egbu road explained that some of the filling stations had the product but have been instructed not to sell.

“Though some of us do not have, others prefer to sell to black marketers since they would make more profit,” he said.

Recall that filling Stations operating in Owerri, had earlier shut down their businesses to protest the refusal of payment of compensation to one of their members whose filling station was damaged by former Governor Rochas Okorocha’s administration.

Their action was based on a court judgment they obtained that the state government should pay compensation to their member. But the state government said it has appealed the judgement