Lagosians groan under darkness, fuel scarcity

In spite the suspension of strike by the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) and the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), last week, mad rush for the Premium Motor Spirits, PMS, at filling stations still linger after days of acute scarcity within the metropolis. Similarly, there seems to be no end in sight on the protracted black out partly occasioned by the face off between labour unions and Ikeja Distribution Companies, DISCO. It is therefore an excruciating story of ‘no electricity and no fuel to power generating sets’ as alternative power source. In spite of the suspension of the strike action embarked upon by oil workers most filling stations are yet shut. It was however, a thug of war, a near anarchy situation in the few filling stations that dispense fuel as desperate commuters jostle with dare-devil black-marketers competing for supremacy of rights. Jerry-cans, particularly the 30-litre keg has emerged the standard black marketers gauge either for selling or even for buying at fuel stations, since it attracts standard settlement ‘fee’ before willing petrol attendants who would rather sell into kegs, than into cars. Commuters are not spared as commercial bus drivers hike the fare to over 100 percent in some cases. Those who can not afford the exorbitant fee have taken to trekking. Some concerned residents expressed concern that the fuel crisis situation may adversely affect their weekend activities. “Is this the CHANGE, Muhammadu Buhari promised us. If it’s so, we are absolutely, disappointed in his administration of no direction”, a worried motorist, Mr. Akin stated. Darkness The power outage which was due to alleged sack of 400 workers, have thrown most parts of the metropolis into darkness. The situation is worsened by the non availability of PMSs in most filling stations. Residents have been thrown into endless search for portable as there is no electricity supply to pump machine of borehole. Worried by the development, electricity consumers under the network of the Ikeja Electricity Distribution Company IKEDC, had called on the government to intervene in the face-off to save their businesses from incurring further losses due to lack of power supply. Irate residents of Alausa, Egbeda, Agege, Ikorodu, Oke-Odo, Iyano-Ipaja. Ojota, Oregun and Ikeja axis stormed the secretariat of IKEDC recently, lamenting that the power situation had worsened without any hope in sight. As at press time, the entire metropolis was in utter darkness, thereby, creating rooms for criminals and men of the underworld to have field day on innocent citizen.