North West: fuel scarcity hits Bamenda again

By Nukapuh P.

Automobile owners in Bamenda have spent a week hunting for fuel.

On several occasions and at several fuel stations, taxis and bike riders have been spotted, scrambling over fuel, whenever they notice that a station has been supplied.

Though the price of a litre of fuel has increased to FCFA 900 and even above that at times, some taxi drivers in the city say their problem now is not the price, but the unavailability of the precious liquid.

“We are not complaining about the price because these were approved by the government and there is nothing we can do. Our cry is that fuel is not even in town. The other day there was no fuel in all Total stations in this town. Each time you pass there they tell you that they are still waiting,” a taxi driver told CNA.

Some say even when a little bit of fuel enters the town, one needs to know someone who has access to fuel because orders are placed way before the arrival of the fuel.

“Imagine that you go to fuel stations and only see big gallons and they tell you that someone already reserved them. I mean that even fungue [unrefined fuel] is scarce in Bamenda. This is the first time I am seeing this.”

Meanwhile, others have decided to park their vehicles and wait for some time. According to them, they will only come out when the situation gets better.

This situation has caused passengers and travellers to bear the brunt, as bike riders and taxis are charging higher with the reason that “prices of fuel have increased”.

No concrete reason has so far been advanced by authorities to justify the scarcity in Bamenda. While some persons blame it on security challenges of getting into the city, others say the situation is like that even in major cities like Douala and Yaounde.

On January 31, 2023, the Secretary-General at the Prime Minister’s office signed a press release, announcing a 15% increase in the prices of fuel.

The release furthered that as of February 1st, 2023, the price of premium grade petrol (super) will increase from FCFA 630 to FCFA 730 per litre, that of diesel (gasoil) will rise from FCFA 575 to FCFA 720 per litre and petroleum sold by SCDP to industries will be at F CFA 560.19.

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