After more than a week where residents of Calabar, the Cross River State capital, experienced a crippling petrol scarcity that made life unbearable, www.calitown.com can report that life is gradually returning to normal after almost all the petrol stations in Calabar resumed the sale of the commodity yesterday.
The artificial petrol scarcity, brought about by striking tanker drivers, kicking against the Cross River State Government’s decision to relocate the tanker park at the NNPC depot to another one, deemed away from the depot by the tanker drivers, left most residents of Calabar, commuters and motorists stranded for a greater part of the last few days. By late Tuesday this week, when most stations were seen discharging tanker loads of the commodity, black market operators who were the main beneficiaries of the unfortunate circumstance, could be seen struggling to reduce their petrol stockpile. Those who sol;d a litre of petrol for N300, are now selling the same litre for N100, even though not many people are looking their way. Transport fares have realistically come down and more commuters are now able to easily commute to work and businesses, a far cry from the situation of a few day back when a short taxi ride from Efio-Ette junction to MCC junction was charged N100, N50 more than the normal charge.
For now, it looks likely that government and the tanker drivers may have ironed out their differences and residents of Calabar can enjoy a respite.
