There seems to be a persistent brouhaha of fuel scarcity in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, as residents and commercial transport operators were observed on Sunday morning in long queues at most of the fuel service stations.

News Express Correspondent, who has been following the event in the city, observed that only a few fuel stations were attending to buyers at different prices, ranging from N150 to N170 per litre, which occasioned pandemonium at the stations. About the time most churches were closing policemen were noticed – at a Total Filling Station in Wuse, Zone 5 – confiscating kegs of petrol bought by some people suspected to be black marketers.

This development, however, increased traffic gridlock in many parts of the city.

As the Eid-el-Fitri holiday ends and work resumes today, FCT residents – especially civil servants that are affected by the fuel crisis in terms of increment in transport fare and likely delay in getting to their different places of work – have started grumbling about the negative impact of the persisting crisis.

A civil servant interviewed said: “Resuming duties after this Sallah holiday might be impossible in the face of the recurring crisis in this city. I am particularly worried and getting tired of buying fuel from black marketers at exorbitant rates. Besides, having to spend many hours at filling stations in the attempt to buy the product is worrisome.”

•Photo shows fuel queue.