12 January 2016, Owerri — Petrol now sells for N400 a litre in Owerri, Imo State, where as most filling stations in the state, were closed down, yesterday, forcing motorists and other vehicle owners to patronize black marketers, who cashed in on the scarcity of the product to hike prices.
This reporter, who went round Owerri town between 7a.m. and 10a.m., particularly MCC Road, Port Harcourt Road, Onitsha Road and the roads from Owerri to Umuahia and Owerri to Aba, including the Owerri to Okigwe Road leading to Enugu State, noted that filling stations were shut while the few that had fuel, sold at exorbitant prices.
It will be recalled that Imo State chairman of the Petroleum Marketers Association, Chief Christopher Amadi, had said that there was shortage in the supply of the product in the South East region of the country, which was why it was difficult to control the prices of petroleum products or force marketers to sell at the N86 official price.
Amadi had said that the shortage of the product in the South East had affected how fuel would be sold in the state.
Alleging that the product was adequately supplied in the other regions, while a small quantity was made available for the people of the south East, he lamented that the much attention given to other states, could have been enough reason why the South East was put in a disadvantageous position.
*Chinonso Alozie – Vanguard
