Despite assurance by the Federal Government that the persistent fuel scarcity in the country would soon be a thing of the past, the situation has continued to get worse in Taraba.
At the time of filing this report, queues have again returned to filling stations spread across Jalingo, the state capital, and its environs.
Cdanewsonline reports that the product has continued to become very scarce in the last three months in the state.
The situation, which has not only triggered an increase in transportation and general cost of living, has as well led to the closure of some business centers.
As at today, petrol was being sold for between N260 and N300 per litre in various parts of the state, a situation which has impacted negatively on both commercial and private car owners as well as passengers.
When our newsmen visited some filling stations in Jalingo metropolis, it was observed that the gates were locked while black marketers had a busy day in their illicit business.
With long queues at the few petrol stations that were open, desperate consumers who spoke with our correspondent, said they were ready to buy fuel at any amount.
Citing the ongoing Ramadan fast embarked on by the Muslims and the forthcoming Easter celebration, both commercial drivers and passengers who bared their minds to Cdanewsonline, urged the government at the national level to address the situation in order to allow the people participate actively in the fasting and Easter celebration.
Some marketers who said that the only way for them to make fast money is to sell their product to black marketers, also expressed their displeasure over government ill attitudes towards them.
Also speaking with some of the taskforce officials assigned with the responsibility of monitoring the sale of the product in the state, they admitted that some of the marketers are hoarding the product thereby worsening the situation.
One of the officers, who agreed to speak on the condition of anonymity, said had they been empowered to force those hoarding the product to dispense it, the scarcity would have been minimized.
