It was one of the unusual days in Lagos on Monday as many residents spent hours waiting in queues in filling stations at various locations in the state.
This was as a result of the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), popularly known as petrol which affected businesses that depend on the product for power due to the erratic supply of electricity in the country.
Similarly, the number of commercial vehicles plying the roads was less compared to a regular business day, leaving many passengers stranded at various bus stops.
While some were forced to pay extra fares for transportation, others opted to trek to their respective destinations, including offices, markets, and homes.
Amid fears that the scarcity might be a result of industrial action by members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), the union said it decided to go on strike.
In an interview with newsmen, the Lagos Zonal Chairman of IPMAN, Akin Akinrinade, explained the rationale behind the fuel scarcity.
According to him, the situation across the state is a result of the operating environment which has become hostile to their businesses.
Akinrinade specifically stated that the petroleum marketers were not on strike as feared but have found it difficult to operate considering the dependence on diesel whose price has skyrocketed.
The IPMAN official was quick to say the situation had nothing to do with the removal of subsidies or deregulation of the petroleum sector.
He listed the high cost of buying petrol at the depots, the high cost of diesel for running their station, and the increased cost of freight as the major factors responsible.
Akinrinade stressed that it was no longer feasible to sell the product at the recommended price of N165 to a liter, adding that the landing cost of petrol was between N175 to N178 naira to the litre.
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