Motorists and commercial motorists in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, continue to bemoan the tougher fuel shortage. It appears that long queues have formed at most petrol stations selling at N190 per litre.
Some gas stations selling the product closed their doors to buyers, with independent marketers setting their prices at N300 per liter against the previous pump price of between N195 and N270.
The Guardian observed that some major marketer stations also adjusted the pump price to N190 against the previous pump price of N180.
The Chairman of the Oyo State Association, Alhaji Bukola Mutiu, who spoke to journalists at the Independent Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Headquarters in Ibadan, linked the ongoing fuel shortage in the state to the high cost of diesel and also the inability of Oyo. State-based petroleum marketer to run fuel directly from Ibadan depot.
“Total deregulation remains the best solution to end fuel shortages.
“Deregulation of the downstream sector remains a strong and lasting solution,” he said.
“But the cost implications of the policy will make petrol prices very expensive for Nigerians, as deregulation will shift the burden from the government to the users of the product,” Mutiu said.