Fuel Crisis: The fresh headache for Buhari

Despite the directive by President Muhammadu Buhari to Governors to ensure that salary arrears of all categories of workers are paid before the Christmas celebration, the shocking fuel crisis that greeted Nigerians suddenly made the President’s directive has no effect. 

It must be clearly stated that while some of the governors made frantic efforts to pay outstanding salary arrears of state civil/public servants, local government workers, primary school staff and pensioners, a few others only cared to settle November and December salaries, thus keeping mute on the salary arrears owed local government council workers and primary school staff, despite the federal government releasing the last tranche of the Paris Club refund.

Just when the State and local government council workers were looking forward to enjoy the yuletide festivities with their November and December salaries in sight, long queues of vehicles started building up on gas (filling) stations in Delta, Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt and other major towns and cities across the country. 

While Nigerians were wondering what could be responsible for the increasing queues in gas stations, PENGASSAN declared an avoidable strike that was immediately suspended following federal government’s intervention. 

Surprisingly however, the fuel crisis worsened and spread like a wind to all parts of the country, thus cutting short the joy of Nigerians, especially the civil and public servants who just received two months salaries in quick succession.

Though many call it fuel scarcity, but unfolding events actually point to the fact that the product is actually available. Most of the filling stations sell the product at nights between N250 and N300, while others dispense the product to black marketers who sell the product during the day to Nigerians at throat cutting prices, no thanks to the seeming compromise of DPR officials, especially in Delta State.

Available information have however revealed that importers  (marketers ) of PMS are bent on increasing the pump price of petrol from the approved maximum price of N145 per litre to over N170 per litre on the ground that the landing cost of importing the product has significantly increased.

The other option the marketers have placed before the Buhari administration is to make forex available to them at a subsidized rate so as to avoid increase in fuel pump price.

The big challenge now for the Buhari administration is to either return to the era of fuel subsidy, provide forex for the marketers at special rate or face the wrath of Nigerians with another increase in the pump price of fuel.        

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