Motorists in Abuja on Monday decried the three-day warning strike embarked upon by the major oil workers in parts of the country.
The Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers recently gave a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to meet their demands or face industrial action.
Their demands, according to a statement, include the passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill, immediate conversion of all contract staff to regular workers in accordance with the approved Contract, Casual and Outsourcing in the Oil and Industry Guideline.
Other issues at stake include the transfer and termination of appointments of national officers of the two unions.
A cross section of the motorists told the News Agency of Nigeria that the strike would affect Nigerians, most especially when Christmas was at the corner.
Most fuel stations visited by NAN correspondents within the city centre had queues around them.
Aboki Danladi, a civil servant, said that the strike was ill timed and would impact negatively on the masses.
Danladi said: “The strike is very unfortunate.
“Why are they going on strike at this critical time when Nigerians are trying to celebrate Christmas?
“This is not good for the masses.
“The whole trouble will be on the masses as usual.”
Alex Felix, an Engineer with a telecom company, said Nigerians were trying to feed their families and preparing to travel for the yuletide when the strike commenced.
Felix said: “I am sure, unless otherwise, many people will not be able to travel for the Christmas and New Year festivities due to scarcity of petroleum product.
“It is not even the matter of travelling but you know petrol touches virtually all aspect of Nigerians’ lives.”
He urged the government to, as a matter of urgency, carry out the Turn Around Maintenance of the refineries and all other issues related therein.
Hajia Salmat Bello, a business woman, called on both the government and the two associations to sit down and work out modalities that would solve the problem.
Bello said: “With the slump in global prices of crude oil, government should reduce pump prices of petroleum products so that we will have some sigh of relief.
“We are really suffering in Nigeria, compared to other oil producing countries, in terms of supply, selling and importation.”
Mohammed Jia, a taxi driver who came to buy fuel at the Area 10 Oando filing station, said that it was too early to experience this fuel situation.
Jia said that the situation should be remedied immediately by government now that Christmas was around the corner.
According to him, he has been on the queue for over three hours without getting the product.
Iwuji Leornard, a motorist who was at the Conoil filling station Area 10, said that he had been on the queue for over four hours.
Leonard said that the situation was pathetic, adding that he had gone to about 10 filling stations yet he could not get fuel due to long queues.
According to him, some of the stations he went to were not selling fuel and he does not know if they have fuel or not.
Muojindu Agbo, a taxi driver, said that some of the stations he visited were serving fuel only with two pumps, causing long queues.
Agbo urged the Federal Government to ensure that the crisis was resolved so that people travelling for Christmas could go home smoothly.
Masari Margimari, a motorist, said that it was unfortunate for Nigerians to experience scarcity as a result of strike.
“It is embarrassing that we produce this fuel in the country and Nigerians are experiencing this situation,” Margimari said.
Maxim Udeh, a civil servant who was at the Total filling station in Wuse Zone 3, said he had spent over two hours without getting the commodity.
Udeh said: “In my own case, I see this as sabotage because some people are making money out of this situation.
“It is unfortunate at a time like this.”
Dr. Luka Ayuba, a civil servant, said: “It is a blackmail by both the fuel workers and the government because at the end of the day, they are making additional gains.
“Motorists have no options than to buy the fuel at whatever price because one has to travel and do some other running around.”
A motorist, John Atanu, expressed fear that the current strike would have negative impact on the cost of transportation and goods if it was not addressed urgently.
Atanu said the timing of the strike was a bad omen for the country, adding that the government should be responsive enough in the interest of the poor masses.
“I am appealing to the Federal Government to be proactive in addressing this issue because it will bring untold hardship for people,” he said.
The situation at the NNPC mega station in Central Area, Abuja was the same.
A pump attendant, Musa Sule, told NAN that the station had product to sell.
Bukus Ucheabuchi, the Station Supervisor of Forte Oil filing station in the Central Area, said that the strike was affecting the company’s sales as motorists were being disorderly.
According to Ucheabuchi, there was enough fuel to serve customers as long as the strike lasted.
He said: “So far, the stock of fuel we have will go a long way.
“We still have two standby trucks and as soon as we clear these vehicles, we will discharge them.”
Malam Umar Farouk, the Manager, Oando filing station in Wuse Zone 4, said there was no need for panic buying as there was enough fuel in stock to serve motorists.
Most fuel stations within the city centre had queues and were selling fuel in spite of the strike.
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