By AbdulSalam Muhammed
KANO — Long queues returned to filling stations in Kano on Tuesday as the warning strike  embarked upon by Petroleum Tanker Drivers took its toll in the largest commercial nerve centre in the Northern region.

Vanguard reports that there was panic buying by motorists last night following reports that the tanker drivers, an appendage of NUPENG, will make good their threat to force government to the negotiation table.

Most filling stations including NNPC-owned mega stations except the one located at the eastern bypass closed shop while few ones that provided services did so with a pump head.

The situation had visited untold hardship on commuters who were caught in the web as few commercial vehicles seen plying the city.

Although no reported cases of hike in transport fare, but the same cannot be said of the Okada riders popularly known as Achaba in the city as operators  capitalised on the scantiness of the commercial vehicles for maximal benefits.

Vanguard further learnt that most of the filling stations that provided services were doing that at extra price as the pump price was alleged to be above approved pump price.

Officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, in Kano were keeping sealed lips over the development as effort made to ascertain the veracity of the claims met a brick wall.

However, a top official of the DPR in Kano on condition of anonymity blamed the Federal Government over the development, stressing that ‘they paid lip services to their demand and we must pay a price for negligence.

The top official told Vanguard that ‘its not a local issue  it is been handled by those concern in Abuja.
In a response to allegation of illegal increase in pump price in Kano, chairman of the Independent Marketers in the state denied knowledge of the development, adding that ‘we are in meeting with the Minister of Labour, and the issues is been address.