Date line Lagos, location fadeyi, date 17/12/2008, time 5.34pm.
Leaving work for home after an eventful day and thinking of the
holiday coming ahead and how to spend it.
Alas i saw the queue at the gas station, i said to myself not again.
The initial thought was that the gas station are hoarding the commodity
due to the impending holiday or the rumor of cut in pump price.
It was not till i got home that the picture became clear. The tanker
drivers are on strike because of "harassment from traffics officials"
to be specifics Lagos state traffic management agency{LASTMA}.
This is not the first time the tanker drivers will embark on such action.
It happened couple of times during the last governor and the present
governor has had his own share of the Lagos state tanker drivers action.
What puzzle one is the selfishness of the tanker drivers, it is obvious
they do this because the important of gas can not be undervalued in our
economy. It is our backbone.
Though i understand the overzealous of the LASTMA officials but the
tanker driver took it too far.
Trust the Lagos "smart boys" by the early hours of this morning the
street urchins popularly known as "AREA BOYS" have taken over. The
major roads like ikorodu was littered by young men mostly without shirt
and a ten litter gallon of fuel hawking it.
One can not imagine the chaos at the few gas stations where the commodity
is available. So many cars waiting to buy fuel and the man hours wasted.
The commuters are worst hit, a friend that came to check on me in office
paid 200% more than the normal fare. Having to pay high transport fare is
one thing, the availability is another challenge.
The good news is that i send this post i just heard in the news that the
strike has been called off. What a relief.
It my wish and of many Lagosians that all the parties involved will reach
a mid point of agreement to avoid such ugly situation again.
