Subsidy Removal: Filling stations in Minna closed down 2 hrs after Tinubu’s pronouncement

Forum 10 months ago

Subsidy Removal: Filling stations in Minna closed down 2 hrs after Tinubu’s pronouncement

Less than two hours after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu made a public announcement on subsidy Removal, all Filling Stations in Minna, Niger state capital closed their stations to the public.

A few hours to the pronouncement, all the Stations were dispensing fuel to prospective buyers with the Major marketers selling for N190 per litre while Independent Marketers were selling for between N200-205 per litre.

Only the NNPC Mega Station along the Eastern bypass was selling for N197 but also shut down a few hours after the pronouncement.

A few hours later on Monday, a few stations opened but selling for black marketers in Jerrycans at a black market price of between N250-N300 per litre.

This led to serious panic among the people of the state who were caught on aware of the sudden pronouncement.

Yesterday, a few filling stations dispensing the product had adjusted their pumps, selling for between N250-N300 per litre except for the NNPC Mega Station which still maintained the official selling price of N197 per litre.

However, at the same NNPC station, some cars with locally inbuilt tanks that can conveniently contain up to 200-250 litres have almost taken over the station as they are being served without any questioning.

Nobody can tell the destinations of such illegal purchases as they have been operating for the past months and have become almost “major stakeholders” in the filling station.

This sudden hike in pump price has led to panic buying as long queues are now noticed in the few Filling stations dispensing the commodity.

Some residents interviewed on the development expressed shock over the sudden hike asking the government to put some mechanism in place to cushion the subsidy Removal.

For now, the increase in price has not affected transport fares as prices of local running and outside the state capital remain the same.