Fuel scarcity hits Jos

With just weeks to the Christmas festivities, fuel queues have returned to  Plateau State creating panic- buying among motorists.

The queues which were first noticed on Thursday became longer on yesterday as rumour spread that the much speculated removal of oil subsidy was about taking off. The situation was not helped by the closure of some filling stations who were accused by motorists of hoarding in anticipation of the oil subsidy removal.

Many motorists rushed to filling stations to fill their tanks resulting in longer queues. However, the lines became shorter by afternoon. The NNPC mega filling station along Yakubu Gowon Way is recording a resurgence of long vehicular lines which had been absent for several months.

The manager of one of the filling stations who spoke in confidence said the volume of fuel coming to the state had been on a decrease in the past month saying this could be because of the planned deregulation of the sector.

Motorists who spoke to Saturday Vanguard appealed to government to push forward any planned deregulation  until after the Christmas celebrations in view of the hardship fuel scarcity would bring on the people.