Kunle Adelabu
The popular song of the late music legend, Fela Anikulapo – Kuti, ‘Suffering and Smiling’, best described the situation that residents are currently going through with fuel scarcity as many petrol stations in Ikorodu were under lock when our reporter went round at the weekend
The situation has led to high cost of transportation within the Ikorodu metropolis as commercial drivers complain about hardship that they face in getting fuel, adding that they buy it at a high rate.
Commuters are also lamenting what they spent on transport fares, going from one point to the other.
They expressed their dismay a about the situation which, according to them, is adding to the problems of average Nigerian, and that people seem to have accepted to live with the situation and go about their normal businesses.
According to our findings during the tour of petrol stations within Igbogbo, Ipakodo, TOS Benson Avenue, Ikorodu Garrage Roundabout and Lagos Road axis, we discovered that many stations are selling the commodity between N250 and N280, while the black market price is higher.
Only Mobil Stations, according to drivers and residents who buy fuel for home consumption, are still selling at N175.
According to sources, Bond Petrol Station along Igbogbo/Ebute Road, sells its product at N260, while NIPCO also along the axis, sells at N250.
Remdamson at Ojogbe, we gathered, sells at N260, Malok along the T.O.S Benson offer its own commodity for N250 and another station selling at N280.
Going round on Friday, NIPCO, Bond and Conoil stations along the Igbogbo/Ebute road, were under lock and key when our reporter visited.
There was a long queue of vehicles and motorbikes with residents carrying jerry cans at Mobil on NBC Road, Ipakodo, while Malok station at Iapkodo was also not selling.
The Mobil station beside F1 Bar along the TOS Benson Avenue, was also not selling when our reporter visited yesterday.
Smart station opposite the General Hospital, Ikorodu, was also selling with long queue of vehicles, including branded APC vehicles waiting to fill their tank. Also, Remdamson at Ojogbe and Mallo close to the Ikorodu West LCDA secretariat along Lagos Road, were also seen selling fuel.
“Well, what is there to say again since we all can see it clearly for ourselves. We are buying fuel between N250 and N300 and it’s not even easy to get the fuel to buy. We have no choice but to increase our fares”, a commercial tricycle driver that carried our reporter from Ipakodo to Ikorodu garage, said.
“We have lived with it because we cannot do without it. But it’s quite unfortunate that we are still experiencing this in this country”, he added.
A resident who spoke with our reporter at the Mobil station at Ipakodo, also said that Nigerians have resigned to fate because there is nothing to do about it.
“Well, the situation is very harsh, but can we fight and if we have to, who are we going to fight?”, he asked rhetorically.
“We cannot do demonstration again for fear of been tagged saboteurs, so, we just have to accept our fates and move along with the tide.
“Where are the youths that are supposed to be on the streets protesting the hard situation? They are either with the ruling party or joining the opposition parties and right now, all that they are interested in is the election and what they are going to make out of the politics?”, he further asked rhetorically.
