By Correspondent in Lokoja.
The residual effect of the ongoing flood in kogi state has resulted into a development reminiscent of long queue of vehicles in in some filling stations in Lokoja,the Kogi State capital, north central Nigeria.
The Reporters correspondent,who visited some filling stations the state capital reports that many vehicles were seen queue at two NMPC filling stations on Murtala Mohammed road and at the Fen junction of the road while many of such station closed their gate against the public patronage.
A visit to Gadumo-Ganaja road revealed that non of the filling stations were seen dispensing petroleum products to motorists as at the time of this report at about 1.30p.m on Thursday.
Investigation by the online news medium revealed that the queue is caused by the inability of articulated vehicles to carry fuel from Abuja and the eastern part of the country to Lokoja.
Few metres away from NMPC filling station on Murtala Mohammed is Paka market road which has been taken over by flood, thus forcing passengers to resort to canoe as a means of transportation.
The Reporters gathered that the flood has also led to power outage, running 12 hours now in some parts of Lokoja, especially Old Poly quarters,200 unit and Gadumo among others.
A source from the regional office of the Abuja Electricity Distribution Company AEDC, in Lokoja told our correspondent that officers of the company were unable to fix problem leading to the power outage due to flood.
Our Correspondent recalls that that the Federal Controller, Federal Ministry of Works and Housing,Engr.Jimoh Kajogbola,in a statement on Wednesday advised motorists to avoid Lokoja-Abuja carriage way for now due to flood at Kotonkarfe axis of the way.
When our Correspondent visited new market/Felele road, the picture was somehow different as some filling stations were seen dispensing petroleum products to motorists.
Paka market road.
Report from neighbouring Federal Capital Territory, FCT, indicates that motorists and commuters in the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, have lamented the renewed fuel scarcity across the capital city.
DAILY POST Correspondent observed that fuel scarcity has led to the return of long queues in filling stations across Abuja.
According to the paper,the situation has left a lot of passengers stranded due to the lack of vehicles to ferry them to their various locations.
“Our correspondent gathered that the renewed fuel scarcity in Abuja is due to the gridlock along the Lokoja-Abuja road in Kogi State.
“A taxi driver, Musa Sani, who spoke with DAILY POST on Thursday morning, blamed the gridlock along the road for the resumed fuel scarcity in the capital territory.
“Sani said: “The flood along the Abuja-Lokoja road is responsible for the fuel scarcity in Abuja; the trucks carrying fuel have been held in gridlock for days. Filling stations did not increase the price of fuel, but you can’t get the product in filling stations in Abuja.”
“DAILY POST had reported that thousands of commuters and travellers were held up in the gridlock, which was caused by flooding on the Murtala Muhammadu Bridge in Jamata Community of the Koton Karfi area of Lokoja.
“The flood had over-shadowed the Lokoja-Abuja highway, causing the gridlock since Monday,” the paper reported.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.
