BBC Pidgin of Wednesday, 30 November 2022

Source: BBC

Nigeria goment tok why fuel scarcity return to di kontri

Timipre Sylva say na petrol marketers dey hoard fuel so goment go fit give dem more moni Timipre Sylva say na petrol marketers dey hoard fuel so goment go fit give dem more moni

Nigeria goment say na petrol marketers dey cause di ongoing fuel scarcity wey di kontri dey currently experience.

Nigeria Minister of State for Petroleum Resources Timipre Sylva tell BBC Pidgin say di marketers dey take advantage of di flood wey happun for di kontri to hoard fuel.

“Every small opportunity, dem wan take advantage of di situation.

"Flood come, dem say Lokoja, too much water dia, truck no pass again, because of dat dem dey pass anoda road, and therefore we go increase. Just to pass anoda road, we go increase?

“Wetin dem dey do, dem go try to hoard, so dem go cause some scarcity, so dat dem go force us to give dem more moni,” Sylva tok for di interview.

Many cities for Nigeria dey experience difficulty to get fuel - di scarcity don affect many tins including price of goods and services.

Di minister say di situation go worse if di goment decide to deal wit di marketers and na why dem dey tread wit caution.

“If we deal wit dem somehow, dem fit stop di whole tin. If dem stop di tin, den fuel scarcity everywhere, wetin we go tok, especially now wey Christmas dey come. So as dem dey take small small catch monkey, na so we dey take waka wit dis marketers,” Sylva tok.

Di minister however assure say di fuel scarcity palava go end.

How fuel scarcity palava dey worry pipo

Anytime wey fuel scarcity dey for di kontri, e dey always add to di harsh traffic situation wey residents of dose states dey face, especially for Lagos wia traffic dey always thick.

Dis time around vehicles go don already queue for filing station as early as 4am.

Plenti cars go don line up for fuel stations dey wait make dem open.

By morning evri wia go don busy as many cars go don dey road, na dis one dey cause heavy traffic for di already busy roads.

E dey also affect cost of transportation as most commercial bus drivers dey charge double di cost.

Fuel scarcity and long queues for filling station no be new tin for di kontri - na annual occurrence for pipo to witness difficulty for fuel for one point or anoda.

Even end of di year fuel scarcity na annual ritual wey many pipo dey always anticipate.

Why goment neva remove fuel subsidy?

Controversy dey surround fuel subsidy and pipo believe say goment gaz komot am.

President Muhammadu Buhari bin don promise to remove fuel subsidy but im neva fulfil dat promise.

Sylva tok say even though goment get plan to remove fuel subsidy, e dey wait for di right time to komot am.

According to di minister, na some big men dey chop di fuel subsidy moni.

“Goment say, yes, e don do, we go remove di fuel subsidy.

"Becos di fuel subsidy na only some big men dey chop di moni, di small man no dey still see anytin from di fuel subsidy,” Sylva tok.

Di minister also say President Buhari tok say if dem komot fuel subsidy now, e go cause problem for poor pipo.

E say di goment wan put some tins in place before dem remove fuel subsidy and dis na to make alternative fuel like CNG available for pipo wey no go fit buy di normal fuel sake of high price.

“So President Buhari say make we do dat one first before we comot fuel subsidy becos im dey worry about how dis tin go affect di poor man.

"You know di man like poor pipo too much. So im say make we do dis one, make we protect di poor pipo first, na im make we say okay make we siddon do wetin go protect di poor man well before we remove di subsidy, na wetin dey delay am,” Sylva tok

Di minister tok say wen goment don come up wit programmes wey go protect poor pipo, dem go remove fuel subsidy.