Makurdi Long queues on Saturday reappeared at various filling stations in Makurdi following the two-day suspension of the weeklong organised labour nationwide strike.

The suspension which began on Saturday also forced women to troop out to the stations to purchase kerosene.

Mny of the queues were noticed at NNPC mega stations which sold at regulated N138 per litre unlike other stations which sold at higher costs.

Investigation showed that the long queue at NNPC stations was to stockpile fuel before the possible resumption of the suspended strike on Monday, Jan. 16.

NAN reports that at the mega station along Otukpo road, the queue covered parts of the road, thereby causing difficulties in traffic flow.

A cross section of the motorists said they preferred to endure the long hours of waiting rather than buy from “Shylock’’ black marketers.

Mr Ade Abayomi, a motorist, said he spent the night at the NNPC mega station just to be sure of buying the product at the regulated N138 per litre.

“I came here last night at about 8 p.m. and slept in my car because already at that time, the queue was long.

“Many more vehicles came after me and also slept on the queue to ensure that when sales resumes today (Saturday), we will be sure of buying the product,” Abayomi said.

Others, who came in the early hours of Saturday, said they were prepared to wait regardless of how long it took them to get the product.

Mr John Emeka, a businessman, said he left his house at around 4.30 a.m. only to see a long queue waiting to refuel.

He said that even if the queue was longer than what he saw, he would  have still waited because it would be better to wait and buy at a reasonable price than “throw money away to those hawkers’’.

“Imagine buying one litre at the rate of N350, that is similar to burning your money,” he said.

Most major marketers selling the product also had long queues while some independent marketers sold above N141 per litre. (NAN)