Residents of Ondo State have expressed their displeasure over the re-emergence of fuel scarcity that has hit the state barely 24 hours after the swearing-in of the new Ondo State Governor, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Several filling stations within Akure, the state capital, have stopped dispensing Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly referred to as petrol, with a few of the filling stations selling the product at outrageous prices of between N300 to N400.
Following the situation, vehicular movements on most of the roads in Akure have reduced significantly, with many residents finding it hard to get the product.
Several customers who were seen waiting for hours on long queues at filling stations expressed their disappointment at the fuel marketers for allegedly attempting to frustrate the new administration.
Speaking on the alleged hoarding of petrol by fuel marketers, some members of the public accused them of deliberately hiding their stocks as a result of the hint given by Governor Tinubu that his government would no longer continue with the fuel subsidies regime.
Kole Lawal, a taxi driver in Akure, who had been on the queue for over an hour at one of the filling stations situated around High School Junction, sarcastically described Nigerians as the problem of the country and not the government. He emphasized that removing subsidies should put an end to the crisis in the system once and for all.
Similarly, Teye Amodu, another customer of the product, urged the new administration to rescue Nigerians from the grip of the fuel marketers, who he accused of frustrating the system. Teye expressed his support for the removal of the subsidy, as he is part of the many Nigerians who believe that people who make illegal money from fuel subsidies are the ones fomenting crisis in the system.
During his inauguration on Monday, Governor Tinubu declared that his government would no longer continue with the petroleum subsidy as it was not included in the 2023 budget. Rather, the funds allocated for subsidies would be diverted into various sectors, including infrastructure, education, the health sector, and job creation.
