Daily Independent (Lagos)
Adeola Yusuf
19 December 2008
Panic buying and long queues in petrol stations are back in Lagos, caused by scarcity which could sour Christmas and New Year celebrations for millions of residents.
The shortage noticed on Thursday is the result of the strike begun on Wednesday by Petroleum Tankers Drivers (PTD).
The PTD, under the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG), staged a "boycott" of products lifting from Apapa depot.
It has also threatened a nationwide action if the harassment, extortion, and arrest of its members by the Lagos State Transport Management Authority (LASTMA) continue.
"We have just started and we do not even know when it would end," NUPENG Zonal Secretary, Tokunbo Korodo, told reporters.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) confirmed the shortage in supply and called for a speedy negotiation between the parties.
IPMAN Mosimi Chapter Chairman, Surajudeen Bada, said the action could affect Christmas celebration if allowed to linger.
"Our concern is that the strike has started to impact negatively on the smooth flow of products, and we believe it is in the best interest of all if the issue is quickly addressed," he counselled.
Transporters have started to hike fares, subjecting commuters to hardships.
A journey from Iyana-Ipaja to CMS now costs N300 instead of N200. Commuters from Iyana-Ipaja to Ikeja pay N100 instead of N70.
It is alleged that officials of LASTMA maltreat tanker drivers and extort up to N50,000 from them when their vehicles break down on the road.
Korodo said: "We have pleaded with the government to ensure that there is free flow of traffic on Lagos roads.
"Since tanker drivers have constituted nuisance to other road users, what we have done, as law abiding citizens, is to boycott Lagos roads to avoid indiscriminate towing of our tankers by LASTMA."
He urged the government to "allocate BRT lane for tanker drivers, as they did for BRT buses because the NUPENG cannot continue to confront constituted authority."
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