Long queues are forming at fuel filling stations in parts of Accra, triggered by motorists’ fear that there could be fuel shortage in the country in the next few days.
Although many of the filling stations have diesel in stock, they have run out of Super petrol in the last three days.
Report on the ground
A check at a few filling stations that had Super yesterday showed that drivers were buying it into containers for storage.
The shortage of Super has resulted in a mad rush for other versions of petrol which are more expensive, such as Effimax.
At the over 20 filling stations visited at Adabraka, Osu, Labadi, the 37 Military Hospital area and the Kotoka International Airport area, there were varied reactions to the situation from station managers and customers.
While the customers saw the situation as one motivated by hoarding on the part of the stations, the managers said that they had genuinely run out of stock and were awaiting their consignments.
The only stations visited that were selling Super were the Adabraka Liberty Avenue Total, the La Road Total and the Airport Shell.
One customers said he had driven all the way from Tema but could not get any station that had Super in stock on the way except the Adabraka Liberty Avenue Total.
The Station Manager at the place, Mr Joeffery Aniaku, said he got his last supply of Super last Thursday and still expected more supplies.
According to him, he had not heard of nor was he anticipating any shortage in the system and, therefore, had no reason to hoard the fuel for future sale.
The scene was almost chaotic when the Daily Graphic got there, as drivers tried to jump the queue.
Rush for ‘Effimax’
Other places such as the Total X’borg located on the Castle Road and the La Beach Total had long queues of motorists who were buying Effimax, which is sold at GH¢14 per gallon, as against GH¢12.20 per gallon for Super.
The Station Manager at Total X’borg, Mr Seth Kpesese, said the station ran out of Super last Tuesday, saying he was surprised at the way motorists were rushing for the Effimax.
At the Co-operative Total on the Liberty Avenue Road, the Station Manager, Mr Emmanuel Boafo, said they ran out of Super around 9 a.m. yesterday and that they had placed an order since last Friday.
The AP, Champion and Engen filling stations, all on the Kojo Thompson Road in Accra, did not have Super, although they had diesel.
The Shell Filling Station near the Accra Psychiatric Hospital, the Stadium Shell, the Osu Regal Shell, the La Road Goil, the Total, Goil and Shell stations at 37 all turned customers away because they did not have Super, although some of them had diesel in stock.
Origin of the problem
Early this week, the Chamber of Bulk Oil Distribution Companies (CBODC) warned of a looming fuel crisis as a result of the association’s inability to raise letters of credit (LCs) to honour supplies.
It said the country had less than a week’s stock of the product.
The Chief Executive of the chamber, Mr Senyo Hosi, is on record to have disclosed that there was a week’s stock of petrol and diesel on standby, but it would only be released if the government settled part of its indebtedness to the bulk distribution companies (BDCs).
The BDC’s concern followed the government’s inability to pay GH¢1.8 billion owed the BDCs and which has been accruing interest since 2011.
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By: graphic.com.gh
