Motorists, commuters stranded as fuel scarcity unsettles Kano

Motorists and commuters in Kano are going through a harrowing experience following shortage of fuel that has hit the ancient city and its environs.

Many passengers from nearby towns such as Wudil are stranded over the non-availability of vehicles as it is becoming increasing difficult to buy fuel in the state.

The scarcity is attributed to rumoured imminent increase in the pump price of petrol, which has been sold at N165 per litre in the state.

This has affected motorists and business operations in the state, according a Daily Trust’s report on Monday.

It stated that over 50 filling stations from Wudil to Kano along Maiduguri federal highway had been shut, with only six selling fuel.

Some motorists said the fear of fuel pump price increment had caused the abrupt unavailability of vehicles for passengers to board.

Abdullahi Idris, a motorist, who conveys passengers from Wudil to Kano, said since Saturday, there had been a scarcity of vehicles for passengers travelling from Wudil to Kano city.

“Even yesterday (Saturday) many people were stranded because there were no vehicles due to the fuel scarcity. I heard that there is a plan to increase the fuel pump price to N300,” he said.

Another motorist who conveys passengers from Hotoro NNPC park to Wudil, Isah Mamman, said the issue of fuel scarcity is something that was created intentionally.

“Every year there will be fuel scarcity around November and December. Why is that so? Because the government wants to increase the fuel pump price so that at the end of the day after people suffer, they will not complain,” he said

However, the Group Managing Director, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Malam Mele Kyari, recently said there are over 1.7 billion litres of petrol in stock and another 2.3bn litres coming, and dismissed speculations of any shortage in the supply of petrol.