Lagos, Nigeria – E be like say fuel wahala don start again as Dangote Petroleum Refinery don open dem mouth talk say dem go begin distribute petrol and diesel for all di country. Dis one go start from August 15, wey everybody dey look up to am because lately, fear don dey scatter everywhere say fuel go dey scarce.
Wetin we go do now? Tanker drivers and fuel marketers for Lagos don gree say dem no go load petroleum products again. Dem dey vex say di E-Call Up system wey Lagos State Government don put no allow dem rest. Olododo! Dem dey charge N12,500 for each truck, and na wetin full ground be say dem no fit cope. As dem dey talk, Lagos Government still dey adamant as dem don confirm say Monday no dey waka back on dis E-Call Up matter.
Dem accuse di unions of collecting N41,000 daily from truck drivers without any service wey fit make sense (we don dey suspect wetin dey happen). Meanwhile, Dangote refinery don talk say dem go use 4,000 brand-new Compressed Natural Gas-powered tankers to make fuel delivery easy peasy for everybody wey need am. Dis move na to help marketers, petrol station dealers, manufacturers, and everybody wey dey hustle for fuel.
As serious as e sound, dis whole saga no just dey about fuel distribution alone anymore. Na political matter no dey far from am too. We fit see say di plan go fit change di game for how fuel dey come out for Nigeria, but e dey clear say e go affect di trucks wey dey use E-Call Up system.
Dem go make our filling stations no dey dormant again because of Dangote’s new distribution tactics, and dem dey talk say e go help pump small businesses. Aliko Dangote don already talk say dis na part of di bigger picture wey go better di whole country (no pressure, na only in big man mind).
But here we go dey, fuel marketers dey shout say while dem no dey against di E-Call Up system, wetin dem no go fit agree with na di N12,500 wey Lagos State wan charge. Dem dey reason say if dis price no come down quick quick, na serious matter go jam dem. And di Deputy Governor, Obafemi Hamzat, don try explain say this system na to help regulate how trucks dey move for di Lekki-Epe corridor, instead of di gridlock wey don dey before (anybody wey don waka reach dat side know wetin I dey talk).
But NARTO President, Yusuf Othman, don make am clear say dem go pay N2,500, no be N12,500 wey di state dey want. Dem dey try negotiate, but if dis matter no settle, dem resign from work, no loading go happen. Omo na wetin we dey face for Naija these days – negotiation! Dem dey try hold Lagos State Government accountable, but wahala no wan gree land.
Marketers too don dey talk say nah di price dey vex dem pass, not di E-Call Up system itself. IPMAN Vice President, Hammed Fashola, don shout say di state dey too hasty with di whole process, and na dem dey call for all stakeholders to gather together because at di end of di day, make we non dey carry mat go corner again.
Meanwhile, di state government don come reply say all dis arguments no make sense as dem dey try make everything organized. Di Permanent Secretary for Transportation, Olawale Musa, don clear am say di N12,500 no go enter government pocket, but na for di truck parks wey dem build to manage di system well.
But no be small confusion dey here o. Dem don call di union mischief, and everybody dey throw blame all over di place. To make matter worse, di deputy governor don waka enter di picture but e dey insist say without di strict implementation, Lagos go get another Apapa for di Lekki-Epe route.
As it stand, na serious drama wey dey unfold and we go dey watch am keenly as di government, di tanker drivers and di marketers continue to dey negotiate (make nobody fall hand). Lagos State, do your best o, fuel dey serious for Naija wey everybody dey rely on!
