By Chioma Onuegbu

Uyo—RESIDENTS of Akwa Ibom State, particularly commercial vehicle operators, have lamented the scarcity and hike in the price of petrol for over one week.

Speaking, yesterday, some residents noted that the non- availability of the product has affected transportation and other businesses because of the time it takes before they could find a filling station that dispenses the product.

A cab operator who identified himself as Mr. Nsikka Ukoh, said: “We hardly see the fuel to buy and when you see any place selling, there is usually a very long queue. It has affected my business because the time you spend at the filling station is enough for you to have move around and make some money for the day.”

A civil servant, Mr. Augustine Daniels, lamented that since last Friday, he has been unable to fuel his car.

He said: “I went to no fewer than 10 filling stations within Uyo, but none was selling the product. I even regretted going out with the car that day because the little fuel remaining in the tank finished in my search for the product.”

Cause of scarcity

It was gathered that the scarcity was as a result of the current face-off between the Petroleum Products Tanker Drivers, PTD and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defense Corps, NSCDC, Akwa Ibom State Command.

It was gathered that officers of NSCDC had apprehended and detained a driver and a conductor of a truck laden with products suspected to be adulterated fuel while the truck was impounded.

The PTD union, according to sources, demanded the unconditional release of the detainees and the truck but the officials of NSCDC refused, insisting that the owner of product should produce his licence before his truck would be released.

Meanwhile, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Petroleum Matters and Chairman of Petroleum Products Monitoring Committee, PPMC, Obong Essien Esema, in a statement, said that government had waded into the matter and had pleaded with independent marketers not to exploit the situation to hike prices of products.