Since Monday afternoon, gas stations in Makeni, Magburaka, Kambia, Port-Loko, and other parts of the Northern regions have abruptly halted sales of gas with only a few selling diesels causing acute shortage of petrol for petrol engine users and other members of the public.

Hitherto petrol which is nowhere to be found for purchase at gas stations in cities, towns, and villages is only available at black marketers’ stores but is being sold indiscriminately at higher prices ranging from 25 Leones to 40 Leones per liter.

The majority of the gas station owners as well as their attendants have absconded from their business centers with their pumping machine bags.

At the few where some of the owners and fuel attendants are present, there is evidence of large queues dominated by commercial motorbike riders, mining companies vehicles fuel tankers among others wanting to purchase petrol but not even a liter of petrol is being sold out, save for diesel that is sold at a moderate rate.

Over this reality, public outcry is on high and there are widespread rumors that gas dealers are planning to use the situation as an opportunity to make scarce the fuel commodity especially the widely used petrol product so that there will eventually be an increase in the current price of the product.

Attempts to confirm the said rumors have been frustrated by gas station owners and representatives of the Petroleum Regulatory Authority who have chosen to remain tightlipped to comment on the rumor.