By Sylvanus Viashima, Jalingo
Motorists and commuters in Jalingo, the Taraba State capital, and other parts of the state are facing severe fuel scarcity and price hikes.
While most filling stations in the city are closed due to lack of fuel, roadside sellers are selling to desperate customers at exorbitant prices ranging from ₦1100 to ₦1450 per liter.
Many residents expressed frustration, stating that the situation is making it difficult to earn a living.
Mr. Albert Ulegha, a transporter, said, “The situation is unbearable. We can’t increase fares to match the fuel price hike. We are forced to ground most of our vehicles because it’s a waste of time. Filling stations claim they have no fuel, but black marketers have plenty to sell at exorbitant prices.”
“Yesterday, we bought fuel at ₦800 and were complaining. This morning, filling stations are closed, and we are buying at ₦1,250. How is that sustainable? We have to ground our vehicles until things improve,” he added.
Another commercial driver, Mr. Ben, said he had to offload passengers after loading because the fare he collected could not cover the fuel cost to the destination.
“This morning, I was supposed to go to Gembu. After loading, I discovered the fuel price had gone up, and filling stations weren’t selling. I wanted to increase the fare to get fuel from the black market, but they refused. So I transferred them to another park to use a bus,” he explained.
Our correspondent observed that the few filling stations with fuel have queues stretching for kilometres, while most people have resorted to using tricycles instead of their vehicles.