By Daniel Tyokua
Some petrol stations in the nation’s capital, Abuja have started witnessing queues following announcement by President Bola Tinubu that “fuel subsidy is gone.”
Tinubu in his inaugural speech on May 29th, 2023, had declared that fuel subsidy which had been a lingering issue in the country, especially between Labour and the Federal Government, was over.
Checks show that NNPC filling stations in the Federal Capital city centre, airport road and in the satellite towns were over crowded by motorists who have rushed to buy the product.
Many private petrol stations were also not selling as at yesterday, as many of them were under lock and key.
One of the attendants in one of the private filling stations, who don’t want his name mentioned confirmed that the owners of the private filling stations are waiting to observe unfolding trends.
Recall that in his inauguration speech on Monday, President Tinubu had said subsidy was benefitting the rich at the expense of the poor.
“We commend the decision of the outgoing administration in phasing out of the petrol subsidy regime which has increasingly favoured the rich more than the poor.
“Subsidy can no longer justify its ever-increasing costs in the wake of drying resources. We shall instead re-channel the funds into better investment in public infrastructure, education, health care and jobs that will materially improve the lives of millions,” he said.
A visit in NNPC Filling Station at Wuse Zone One, Abuja, observed very long queue of motorists waiting to buy the product, and this was observed in many other stations visited.
Speaking on the emerging crowd at the filling stations in Abuja and other parts of the country, the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, said there was no need for panic buying as had been noticed in some areas of the FCT.
Kyari disclosed that the company had enough product to supply the country for the next 30 days, adding that it was monitoring its supply and distribution networks around the country.
A motorists in the nation’s capital, Mike Annie said the rate of queue in the filling is already subsidizing, as compared with what was witnessed last night.
Annie said the reduction in the queue in Abuja filling stations is because many motorists in the nation’s capital have realized that the commodity is not scarce as was earlier anticipated.
