Several people in Ibadan, Oyo State lamented as they got stranded on Monday on their ways to work. Most of the commercial drivers and Okada riders jostled to buy the all-times expensive Premium Motor Spirit otherwise called petrol.
Many motorists scrambled for fuel in most filling stations where the products were being sold with long queues of vehicles in most of the filling stations within the state capital.
Visits around Ibadan showed that some filling stations were shut down while the others are besieged with long queues of Okada riders, private and commercial drivers.
This resulted in hike in transport fare as commercial transporters double the cost. BCJ bus stop to Oke Ado, which hitherto was between N70 and N80 was fixed for N150.
Transport fare from Wire and Cable to Oja Oba, which was N120 had increased to N250. The situation is also similar in places like Ijokodo, Sango, Bodija, Agodi Gate, Iwo Road, Monatan, Eleyele and Ologuneru.
Some of the major petrol marketers along the Ijokodo, Eleyele-Sango Road, including Total, Conoil and Oando were not dispensing as of the time of filing this report.
However, some filling stations were dispensing their products at Apata, Odo Ona area as well as the Mobil filling station located at Awolowo Road, Bodija.
Filling stations along the Agodi Gate/ Iwo Road, Ologuneru, Eleyele and Monatan are still experiencing long queues as of the time of filing this report on Monday.
During peak hours on Monday as students, civil servants and business owners struggled to catch up with time, transporters engaged in brisk business as they made arbitrary charges.
Many people were stranded in the process as they were unable to afford the high cost of transport fare.
A student who gave her name as Sherifat Balogun, who paid N100 to Odo Ona from Apata, said, “I cannot understand what led to the increase in transport fare. My parents gave me N100 to and fro which means that I should be paying N50 to Odo Ona and N50 back.”
Adeolu Oladiipo, a trader at Aleshinloye market, while reliving his experience to our correspondent in Ibadan on Monday, said, “This week started for me and my family on a strenuous note. I left home with my wife and children in the car with my fuel at reserve.
“I was shocked when told at the first filling station that there was no fuel. I was not comfortable as I had just a little fuel left in the car. On getting to the second and filling station, there was no fuel. I was happy that I was able to convey my children to school before scouting round town for black market which was sold to me for N250 per litre.”
Efforts to speak with the Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Alhaji Bukola Mutiu, was abortive
