Calabar Residents Cry Out Over Fuel Price Hike, Scarcity

By Nelson Utip

Residents of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, are crying out over the hike in price of petrol and it’s scarcity, some of them who interacted with Newsmen recently lamented the high cost of between 880 and 950 per litre and the unavailability of the product.

Long queues are noticed in fueling stations in the city, vehicles are seen as early as 3:00am at The NNPC Mega station at Stadium junction. A motorist in the city, Mr Effiong, lamented that petrol was not dispensed to motorist though the station had supplies on Monday. “We saw petrol being discharged on Monday, based on this, I came here at about 3.00a.m to queue up, but they have yet to commence sales.

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“The pump attendants are here but they are not dispensing products to customers. We do not know their reason.” Effiong said.

Uwem, another motorist rued the situation of station owners reserving the product for their gains coupled with the high cost. “We don’t know what to complain about anymore, the price of petrol is high, and it is difficult to find stations that are open and selling freely. “When they decide to sell, they sell for a few hours and tell you that the product is
finished, it is so painful.” He said.

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According to one Archibong, a mini bus driver, he spent several hours at a fueling station along the Murtala Mohammed Highway before the Manager of the station came out to announced that petrol would not be sold.

“On hearing that, I left that place to queue up at the NNPC fuel station around Stadium Junction. It is sad to also see that they are not selling.” Archibong said.