Ibadan residents decry scarcity of fuel, cows

By Yinka Adeniran, IbadanResidents of Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, on Sunday and Monday had a gruelling experience over the scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and shortage of beef.The beef shortage, it was discovered, was due to drop in the number of cows being slaughtered every day at Ibadan Central Abattoir.Long queues were sighted at some fuel stations across the capital city while many others left their gate shut, an indication that they were either out of supply or not selling.When the Nation moved around town from Akobo to Ojoo and other parts of Ibadan, including Bashorun, Idi-Ape, Iwo Road, Total Garden, Bodija, Mokola, Monatan, Agbowo, Eleyele, Ologuneru, Challenge, Molete, Oke-Ado and Oje, the story was the same.Many commuters were stranded on Sunday and Monday as they had to trek long distances to their various destinations.There were fewer vehicles on the road and the excruciating traffic snarl associated with the General Gas Area of Akobo, Aleshinloye/Railway Junction, Mokola Roundabout, Adamasingba, Dugbe, Sango Poly Junction, Amuoloko, Olorunsogo, Akanran, Orita-Aperin, and Elekuro, disappeared on Monday morning.It was observed fuel black market had returned with young men seen selling the commodity in gallons at Sabo area of Mokola on Monday.Majority of major and independent marketers of PMS were closed.Those who dispensed sold between N165 and N200 per litre.It sold for as high as N250 and N300 per litre in the black market.But Commissioner for Public Work and Transportation Prof Dawud Sangodoyin described the situation in Ibadan as artificial scarcity.Speaking while featuring on a radio programme monitored in Ibadan, the Commissioner alleged that many of the major and independent marketers have the commodity but are only hoarding it.The Nation also discovered the numbers of cows slaughtered in Ibadan daily had fallen from at least 500 to about 150 cows.A source, who visited the Ibadan Central Abattoir at Amosun Village in Akinyele Local Government Area, explained cows were not transported from the northern part of Nigeria to the Southern part the way they used to, especially in the last two days.It was also gathered the selling price of a cow has increased by 100 per cent.
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