By Correspondent in Lokoja.
The relative ease in the sale of fuel to the members of the public by filling stations in Lokoja, Kogi State, returned on Sunday with more stations opening their gates for sale.
However,one of the filling stations was seen selling a litre of the product at N201 per litre instead of the official pump price of N165 per litre with a difference of N225 at five litres of fuel.
Sources from motorists indicate that most filling stations in the state capital now sell a litre of fuel above the official price with the attendant consequences on transport fare and other goods and services in the area.
A correspondent of the Reporters,who went to one of the filling stations within the vicinity of Paparanda square to buy 5 litres of fuel, ended paying N1,050 instead of N825 for the same quantity.
Our Correspondent, however, observed that the pump price of the product was reading N165 per litre as at the fuel attendant was dispensing the product, a developmnt many motorists at the filling station described as characteristic of the said station as well a great cheat on the unsuspecting buyers.
When asked as to why the sudden increase in the litre of the product, the manager of the station retorted,” Oga, I don’t know the reason for the increase. I am only following instruction given to me from the headquarters of my station,thank you sir.”
The online news platform recalls that Lokoja witnessed scarcity of fuel with the attendant long gueues in some fillings on Saturday morning which later disappeared after few hours, leaving most stations with locked gates while few sold the product intermittently.
As at the time of this report no sunday, (February 13,2022),the federal government did not announce any increase in the pump price of fuel.
Members of the public,who spoke to our Correspondent on the issue at the filling station condemned the station with a call on the federal government to turn its search light on filling stations that increased price of litre above the official price for sanction to serve as deterrent to other filling stations.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
