Lagos govt directs early closure of filling stations to curb traffic gridlocks

The worsening situation across Lagos over fuel scarcity has led to a cascading ripple effect as major roads are often gridlocked due to long queues by motorists seeking to fuel their vehicles.

In order to curb this situation, the Lagos State Government, on Thursday, directed all major and independent petroleum marketers operating along major roads to open between 9am and 4pm weekdays.

This was contained in a memo issued by Commissioner for Transportation Frederic Oladeinde, who said all independent and major oil marketers with retail outlets on major roads within the metropolis of Lagos are to comply with the directive.

He also warned that sanctions would be meted to any erring fuel marketer, as the government seeks to ease traffic flow across the metropolis.

“The move becomes imperative in order to check motorists queuing up indiscriminately on the road and bridges to buy petroleum products, thereby impeding free flow of traffic. The 9am to 4pm order would be sustained until the fuel shortage crisis subsides,” the commissioner added.

Oil marketers have accused the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited of politicizing the supply process and making empty promises as the country’s ongoing fuel shortage persists.

Despite assurances from Hubb Stocksman, the managing director of NNPCL Retail, in December 2022, that they would start receiving direct product supply at the government-regulated price of N148 per litre this month, the oil marketers operating under the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria claimed the situation has worsened.

“We have yet to see any product supply. Well, the man (Stockman) has been in Nigeria for some time now and is probably beating us to our game. He’s playing politics and we don’t see the situation abating soonest,” the Chairman of Satellite Depot, IPMAN, Akin Akinrinade, noted.