A labour activist, Mr. Peter Esele, on Friday advised that the lingering fuel scarcity in the country should be treated as in the era of pandemic.
Esele, a former president of Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), gave the advice in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Benin City.
He said people who could work from home as was done during the early days of coronavirus outbreak should be permitted to do so.
“By this, I mean that government and employers who know their workers can work from home, should allow them do so,” he said.
“This is also affecting our mental health, because the pressure is just so much.
“So, the government needs to find a way around everything.”
While also advising Nigerians to only go out if extremely necessary and important, he called on the government to do everything possible to make the product available.
“The government should also ensure that the actual price at the depot is what is paid.
“Because one of the major reasons for this scarcity is that most gas stations no longer sell fuel for N162.5 per litre.
“And this is because the ex-depot price has been increased. Now the question is who authorised such an increase?
“They are not supposed to carry out any increase, because subsidy payment is still being made.”
He noted that although there were no products in many petrol stations the black market was thriving due to availability of product to them.
Esele also identified racketeering as another major reason for product scarcity in the country.
He said that while some persons were moving the product out of the country others at the same time were selling the product at increased prices.
