Stories that touch from fuel scarcity angle

 

Look at these boys, they will buy from the filling station and resell to cars just outside the filling station, they're the real power brokers in this hustle. (Photo credit: Google)

Omo! This fuel scarcity has come with lots of stories that touch and I think I should share a few of them. It’s been on for far too long especially when you consider the fact that we were told it wasn’t like there was no fuel but some were contaminated, so how long would it take them to clean it up?

Let’s not forget the fact that we know how to make life difficult for ourselves in Nigeria, greedy people are already exploiting others and I doubt any fuel attendant out there wants the fuel scarcity to end, it is what it is if you ask them but they won’t win forever.

One fuel attendant told me last week that if the scarcity continues for another one week, he’d be able to pay his rent, buy a new phone and be liquid for at least three months, you think he was exaggerating? You’d want to think twice when you realize his station charges 1k on every jerrycan no matter the size.

It is crazy enough that this scarcity is coming at a time heat is unbearable and the electricity distribution companies across Lagos are working for our enemies full time, I don’t know who we offended but we can’t continue suffering like this.

To personal experiences during this period. I was on a queue at MRS on the express that leads to 7up and I realized it was a standstill, Emmanuel (my pilot) went to check to be sure we’re not on a long thing and he came back with the news that they’re only selling to Kegs…

That’s not the end of this particular gist; there’s heavy traffic on that axis and even if we decide to leave, we’d still have to struggle to wriggle out. The traffic wasn’t actually caused by the orderly long queue that was already approaching Ogudu, but by black market boys who buy in kegs at the gas station and then resell to cars at outrageous prices.

If that isn’t madness, I don’t know what to call it. So these fuel attendants prefer to sell to kegs because of what they charge them and then the boys will go to the filling station gate to resell to cars, that particular night, I bought from these miscreants/oil moguls at 400naira per liter.

The next morning, as soon as I got to the office, Emmanuel went to hustle at Oando on same express road and he came back with full tank and extra for gen, that lasted me for four days, this also means the fuel they’re selling is badly refined, not like we have much choices.

There’s a simple scam going on as well at these filling stations. Y’all will be on a long queue and you’d see filling station security folks trying to smuggle a particular car in; when you revolt, they will tell you he or she is a manager from another of their branch but if you watch closely, palms would be greased as the person is driving off, I must not forget to mention that such people usually have about 5kegs in their trunks too.

Then to this story Tobi told us in our Arsenal group, it happened in Ikorodu and I’m still laughing as I’m typing this. A woman was at the filling station to hustle for fuel and in the midst of the hassles, one young man became friends with her under the guise that he knows everyone at the station…

The woman saw the guy playing with all the attendants and even hailing some people around, she trusted the guy with her jerrycan while she went to sit in the car outside the filling station. When it was the turn of the woman’s keg to be filled, the guy signaled her to come for payment because she was using POS.

The woman realized she could actually get more value, so she decided to pour the fuel in her car while her new friend goes to hustle another one she would take home, no brainer right? The guy already earned her trust so how it happened, it remains unclear but it ended with the woman’s iPhone 12 missing and the super star hustler at large at least till the time Tobi was reporting it, sad.

Bants or cruise, I wouldn’t be able to tell but I have heard of romantic relationships starting off at filling stations, finding love in hopeless places, right? Well ladies can be as soft as custard and it would be easy for a guy that hustles fuel for you to have your number.

Speaking of number, you know how much you have labored for fuel, if a guy asks for your number so he can call you when he sees a station that is selling, won’t you hurriedly give him the number? And what happens after then is not anyone’s business abi?

Tell me about your own fuel scarcity chronicles, how have you been coping? Do you have a fuel buddie? Trust our ladies, they have a boyfriend for every purpose, at least Yinka helped bailed one of our activation buses that was arrested by LASTMA idiots recently by just one call… Baddest!

While telling me about your fuel scarcity stories, please leave your name behind so I can engage better, I’m actually begging. Thank you and I hope someone blesses you with 25liters of PMS. Amen.