Oil marketers in Nigeria have agreed to begin lifting fuel Monday to end the excruciating fuel scarcity.Reports Monday afternoon said the marketers will start lifting fuel within the next six hours.
Senator Magnus Abe said while reading a resolution assuring oil marketers of payment of outstanding claims“ We have agreed on the following :First is that the Minister of Finance will give an undertaking to the Major Marketers and Depot Managers that the work of the committee being headed by the CBN and PPPR, on the outstanding claims, would be concluded and be reflected in the hand over notes to the incoming administration.”
The hope of an end to the fuel scarcity came as the hardship lack of fuel engendered has virtually brought Nigeria’s economy to a halt.Commuters have to pay much higher fares.
A day before this ,telecoms giant MTN had warned that its service might be disrupted owing to lack of fuel.Airtel followed suit by sending sms messages to its customers of the probability of its services being disrupted due to shortage of fuel.
By Monday morning, it became known that several banks have informed their customers of shorter working days ahead until the situation improves.The banks which have issued such notices include GTBank,Zenith and FCMB.
Airlines too have been hit by the shortage of aviation fuel.
But even as this hardship bites harder, some Nigerian say they view it as part of the oil marketers’ plot to blackmail the in-coming Muhammadu Buhari regime to play ball with them.
However, given Buhari’s widely known declaration to fight corruption, many also say the decision of the oil marketers to arm-twist government may backfire when Buhari assumes power May 29.