Fuel Scarcity Disrupts Socio-Economic Activities In Osun

The daily socio-economic activities of the people of Osun State have been grounded, due to the lingering fuel scarcity.

Osun Defender reports that the situation has forced motorists and commercial transporters to abandon their routine schedules to search for petrol at filling stations.

The situation is also impacting the state’s socio-economic lives as many of the residents have closed their business premises, with others suspending their planned visits to friends and relatives.

READ: Fuel Scarcity: More Trouble As Marketers Threaten To Withdraw Services Over N200bn Debt

It was gathered that some events were also suspended over the scarcity and the exorbitant price of the product, after hours of queuing up at petrol stations.

An Ile Ife-based resident of the state, Alhaji Taye Akinola, said that he postponed the naming ceremony of his newborn as a result of the fuel situation.

He said, “There has not been electricity in my area for over five days now, and my wife has just delivered a baby boy. We do not see fuel to buy. Even the one that we see is very costly.

“I have been to some filling stations to buy fuel since this morning. I had no choice but to suspend the naming ceremony of my child.”

Corroborating him, Alhaji Lukman Isa, a businessman based in Ilesa, told Osun Defender that he closed his shop for over 10 hours in order to get fuel.

Osun Defender recalls that the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, had threatened to cripple the supply of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, over non-payment of N200 billion bridging claims.

This is coming amid the worsening fuel scarcity across the country.

The association’s Unit Chairman and spokesperson, Aba Depot, Mazi Oliver Okolo, said the threat was issued with the backing of the national leadership.

He claimed that the debt is being owed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission, NMDPRA.