1.0 Introduction
1.1 Background of the Study
In the past Nigerians solely depended on the exportation of agricultural product for their source of income. This continued until the discovery of the presence of the presence of oil in our country especially in Port Harcourt. This made them (Nigerians) to divert from agriculture to the exportation of oil to other countries, which was actually fetching the much money even till this present time.
There are many subsidiary oil companies scattered all over the country but the biggest among them is in port Harcourt and is called the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC). It is from here that crude oil is extracted from the ground refined to get those components like fuel, kerosene and gas. There are depots scattered all over the country like shell port Harcourt, NNPC imo, E.P Oil company, Warri pipeline are directed towards these oil companies to facilities distribution. Tanker drivers and other dealers will load from the depot and distribute the filling stations, then the consumers will be from the filling stations.
Fuel supply has been moving smoothly in the country before the announcement of the budget by the budget by the head of state in January last four year 1999. it was in February 1999 that the whole issue of fuel scarcity started. This has made it difficult for the government to accomplish that which it proposed to do in the budget.
1.2 Statement of the Problem
The word “scarcity” means when there is insufficiency of something since there is insufficiency of fuel it is termed as fuel scarcity.
In the past, there has not been any service of fuel scarcity. Everything was moving smoothly, the industrialist both public and privates, does not have any problem. Economically the price of goods and services, were affordable by the people. Car owners can just go to filling station and buy fuel at a normal price of N22 per liter and with much ease. Things were moving smoothly in the country and in this part of Owerri metropolis until 1994 when we had one case of fuel scarcity not until on up till the movement of the study.
Because of fuel scarcity, people are so desperate to buy fuel for their business. For this reasons, whenever any information was passes concerning the presence of fuel in any filling station, car —owners will go there and queue up. Some of them will have to sleep in the filling stations a day or more than two days while waiting for their turn. People or car owners when they cannot buy fuel in any filling station, are forced to buy from the black market at an exorbitant price. Some people use big gallons to buy fuel that will serves them for some days.
For the reason that there is insufficient fuel in the filling station, makes people sell fuel in ration so that everybody present will buy. The car owners who think the fuel will not reach them will start jumping the queue thereby causing fights among themselves. Because of this reason, the filling station owners invite soldiers so that there will be peace and orderly queue in the filling stations. Fuel scarcity are sometimes artificial in the sense that during the Christmas period. Filling station owners will just hoard their fuel in order to sell at high price.
1.3 Objective of the Study
The study has the following objectives:
- To find out the causes of fuel scarcity
- To recommend what can be done to solve the problem of fuel scarcity
- To find out how the fuel scarcity has affected the businessmen and women, civil servant etc.
1.4 Significance of the Study
This study will be benefit to the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) who is not the sole cause of fuel scarcity. The study will help them to find out these people or those things that contribute to fuel scarcity and take drastic measure to combat them.
This study or research will be of immense benefit to the government because if there is fuel scarcity, if then means that crude oil is also insufficient by this, the government will not have enough oil to transport in order to get foreign exchange.
This study will also be of great benefit to car owners and business because if the fuel scarcity is rectified ad resolved all business will start improving and progressing.
From the study, the rural drivers will find it easy to transport their farm product from the rural area to urban zones because the cost fuel will be on a lower side.
Also from those research work, I will be kind of encouragement. In that when the cost fuel is low, the cost of transportation will be also low, and these can lead to low price of commodity been transported.
1.5 Scope of the Study
The study is carried out to study the operation of the Nigeria National Petroleum company (NNPC) and the middlemen. The study is only based on petrol alone and not for kerosene or gas- generally.
1.6 Limitation of Study
The research work is limited to fuel scarcity in Nigeria with a case study which was carried out purely as an academic exercise and therefore could neither receive any financial support from the government or any private enterprise. The limited financial resource of the researcher is thus a major handicap and thereby resulted in limiting the study. Time factor also provide a major constraint.
1.7 Definition of Term
Economic:
Change produced by an action or cause.
Fuel:
Mineral resources that provide nuclear or internal energy requirement.
Scarcity:
Something not bee enough that is difficult to obtain and much less than is needed.
Depot:
A place where fuel or oil being stored or a warehouse of anything
Middlemen:
Trader who passes goods from the produces or from the place where they are produce to the final consumer or final buyer.
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