Fuel marketers in Kano State, on Wednesday, arbitrarily hiked their price from the regulated price of N165 per litre to between N200 and N220 at different outlets in the city.
Prior to the development, motorists in the state had been experiencing fuel scarcity, which had lingered for the past two months without any official explanation from relevant authorities.
Despite the promise by the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, Mele Kyari, last week, that the recent fuel scarcity would soon be a thing of the past over the weekend, following the meeting held with stakeholders in the industry, the scarcity continued to bite harder, with a handful of fuel stations having the product in stock.
During our correspondent’s visit to some fuel stations on Wednesday, it was discovered that some filling stations on Airport road, Paniso and Bompai road areas of the city had commenced selling to motorists at prices ranging from N200 and N220, respectively.
However, at A.A Rano filling station, on Bompai road by Central Hotel roundabout and Aliko petrol station, at Paniso by Jaba, the product was sold for N185 per litre.
During a chat, with a fuel attendant at A. A. Rano, who declined his name in print, confirmed to our correspondent that the price was hiked since Tuesday.
Also, at Amkar petrol station on Airport road, the product sold for N220 per litre, just as the attendant at the filling station disclosed that the price increased to N220 last week saying they dispensed the product at a price of N215 for over three weeks.
A motorist interviewed at Amkar petrol station on Airport road, Ibrahim Baba, decried the hike, noting that the government insisted that the price would be pegged at N165 per litre.
“It’s so sad that I can only afford 15 litres of fuel at this price of N220 and surprisingly, the NNPC is advising motorists against engaging in panic-buying, noting that the price remains N165 per litre.
Another motorist, Aisha Yahaya, at Aliko petrol station on Jaba/Paniso road, noted that just last week, she bought fuel at the station at the rate of N185 per litre.
“It’s like we don’t have a government in place again as the petrol stations dispense fuel at the prices that suit them without any sanction,’’ she lamented.
However, the situation is different at major petroleum marketers in the state as Oando Filling Station still dispenses the product at N165 per litre on Murtala Muhammad way round about. Also, Ardova Plc (formerly Forte Oil plc), on the same road, still dispenses for N165 per litre.
