Normalcy Returns To Abuja After Fuel Scarcity

Normalcy has since returned to Abuja, the nation’s capital city after fuel scarcity ravaged the city for more than one week.

Recall that Abuja was hit by fuel scarcity following a strike action embarked upon by Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), forcing residents to celebrate a bleak sallah.

LEADERSHIP reports that following the call-off of the strike on Thursday, normalcy has since returned to the city.

Checks by our correspondent reveal that filing stations across the city had received supply of products and were selling at the approved pump price of N97 just as the long queues that were witnessed during the strike had also disappeared.

It was also observed that fuel hawkers, popularly called black market, who had a field day selling a litre of fuel for between N200 to N400 during the strike had also disappeared from the streets, even as transport fares which witness a hike during the period had also been normalised.

A fuel attendant at one of the filling stations in Area 11, who spoke with our correspondent on the condition of anonymity said business had returned to normal.

“It was not easy for us during the strike as we were also recording loses but since the strike was called off, things have been returned to normal. A few days after the strike was called off, we still had queues because of the rush by motorists to but fuel but everything is normal now as you can see, there are no queues,” he said.

A resident of the territory, Bukar Ahmed commended the government and NUPENG for the resolution of the impasse which had brought about untold hardship to residents, while calling on government to work out measures to ensure that such incidents do not repeat.

A commercial taxi driver, Idowu Babatunde said the availability of the product was a relief to commercial motorists, insisting that they were the worst hit while the fuel situation persisted.

“We are very happy now because the fuel scarcity really affected our business and in this our business where we make daily or weekly returns to owners of our vehicles, one week set back as we encountered is very bad.?

“I tried to use black market the first few days but realised that I was running at a loss as customers could not afford the high fares so I had to park my vehicle, causing me huge loss,” he stated.

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