Representatives of the Federal Government are expected to meet with the Nigeria Labour Congress today by 2pm over the planned removal of fuel subsidy.
The NLC National President, Joe Ajaero, made the disclosure during an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday morning.
Reports emerging less than 48 hours after President Bola Tinubu declared an end to fuel subsidy states that the pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, commonly known as petrol, has skyrocketed to N600 per litre from N195/l in many parts of the country.
The development triggered a 100 per cent hike in transport fares, while long queues resurfaced at fuel stations across Lagos, Abuja, Ilorin, Benin, Asaba, Port Harcourt, Kano, Makurdi and other major cities and urban areas.
To worsen the situation, many outlets shut down their facilities and refused to dispense fuel to motorists, further creating scarcity and sparking desperation and panic buying at the fuel stations that were opened to customers.
Tinubu had, in his inaugural address at the Eagle Square on Monday, pronounced with finality an end to subsidy, noting that the 2023 Appropriation Act did not provide for petrol subsidy beyond June, the end of the 18-month extension period approved by the Muhammadu Buhari administration for the discontinuance of the subsidy regime.
READ ALSO: Fuel Subsidy: It Is Neither A New Development Nor An Action Of This New Administration – Tinubu
The PUNCH reports that the petrol subsidy gulped N6.88trn under the administration of former President Buhari, according to data from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and the Nigeria Extractive Industries Transparency Initiative.
But taking advantage of the President’s Monday pronouncement, fuel outlets hiked the pump price to the consternation of citizens.
Queues have reportedly worsened in some parts of Lagos and Ogun states as transporters hiked their fares while fuel prices went as high as N600/litre at some fuel outlets.
At the Mobil Filling Station at First Gate Bus Stop along the Lagos-Badagry Expressway, fuel wasn’t dispensed even as there was a long queue of vehicles and citizens with jerry cans. The queue extended to half of the expressway.
A commercial bus driver, Adebayo Emmanuel, who spoke to one of our correspondents at 12 noon, said he had been at the station since past 9 am and he had yet to get fuel.
The Peridot station along Festac Access Road was closed, although cars were parked at its entrance.
The NNPC filling station at Second Rainbow Bus Stop along Apapa-Oshodi Expressway wasn’t dispensing fuel from any of its four pumps.
Total Energies filling station at Ojota was closed, same as the Mobil station before Otedola Bridge, even as Nigerians with kegs set up tents there.
Vehicles could not access the outlet due to the ongoing construction activities on that stretch of the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway.
READ ALSO: Fuel Subsidy: Queues Resume In Lagos As Fueling Stations Begin To Shut Down
Meanwhile, the queue for fuel at the North West fuel station, Westex Bus Stop heading toward Gbagada, extended almost to Ikorodu Road.
In Nasarawa and Niger states, as well as Abuja, the queues for petrol at the few filling stations that dispensed products grew worse on Tuesday, as most outlets were shut.
In Calabar, residents woke up on Tuesday to a long line of vehicles at the Dozzy, Fynfield and NNPC filling stations on the Murtala Mohammed highway.
A litre of fuel was sold for N400, with black marketers selling at N800 per litre in some parts of the city.
At the Northwest fuel station, there was a long queue as the attendants said they were awaiting directives on how much to dispense the product.
However, a litre of fuel was sold for N600 in Atimbo, while there were long queues in other filling stations in the area.
Queues also resurfaced at fuel outlets in Ilorin, Kwara state capital, on Monday evening.
Findings indicated that some fuel stations in the town opened for business from morning till 2 pm and sold the product between N189 and N205 per litre.
