Yaounde, Douala, Bafoussam: Population in agony, businesses stall as fuel scarcity hits hard.

In recent days, motorists in the affected cities have had a hard time getting fuel just as commuters continue to lament the ripple effects of the scarcity as a result of skyrocketed transport fares.
Despite government’s repeated claims of having enough petroleum products in stock, the scarcity has persisted, amidst poor supply of electricity in some major cities.
As we went observing the situation yesterday in parts of Yaounde, The Guardian Post discovered that many filling stations were temporary shutdown, while others were besieged by motorcyclists as well as private and commercial vehicle owners.
While many filling stations dispensing the liquid sold a litre of premium fuel at the approved price of 730 FCFA, others that engaged in illegal transactions sold the commodity at 950 FCFA.
The black-market prices of fuel were noticed at most of the filling stations, which we visited Monday. At one filling station in the Santa Barbara neighborhood in Yaounde, users were forced to pay 500 FCFA bribe before having access to the liquid.
Meanwhile, traffic gridlocks appeared across some major parts of the Yaounde and Douala as many service lanes were blocked, due to the long queues sprawling from petrol stations.
The fuel crisis has led to increase in cost of transportation across the affected cities. 
Several commuters in Yaounde were left stranded at various bus stops yesterday, as workers and students returned from work and school respectively.
“To be frank with you, this fuel issue is so pathetic. I have been in this queue since 3 pm, to get fuel. This is 4:30pm and still, it has not been my turn to get the product. As you can see, there are a lot of queues here because they are selling for 950 FCFA,” Enoh, a taxi driver lamented in an exchange with The Guardian Post.
Another taxi driver, Innocent Kunde, said: “This fuel issue has become a habit in the country. I have observed this and I’m not sure our government is doing anything to address it. We are suffering in this country. This is the end of the year where several activities are engaged, yet, we are unable to move”.

Gov’t assures of normalcy 
Government has, through the Minister of Water and Energy Resources, Gaston Eloundou Essomba, assured of adequate fuel supply nationwide December 12, to address incidents of shortages witnessed in major towns.
The assurance is the content of a release which Minister Eloundou Essomba issued December 11. 
According to the minister, the disruption recorded in the supply of premium gasoline and super is the consequence of poor weather conditions on the high seas that delayed the arrival of the ship loaded with a huge quantity of petroleum products.
The poor weather, Minister Eloundou Essomba indicated, also interrupted a programmed ship-to-ship loading of vessels for four days at the port of Lomé, in Togo. 
But he reassured citizens that a ship is already docked at the Douala port with 13,000 cubic metres of Super, that will be distributed nationwide, latest midday Tuesday.
He stated that arrangements were underway as at Moday at the level of the Cameroon Petroleum Depot Company, SCDP, for 81 tankers to carry the petroleum products to the major towns of Yaounde, Douala and Bafoussam, that witnessed fuel shortage in recent days.
Moves, he also stated in his release, had been on since Sunday December 10, to bring the situation of fuel shortage under control.
With the planned distribution of the new consignment of petroleum products, the minister talked of government’s resolve to reinforce the supply capacity in major cities nationwide.

More vessels loaded with fuel expected 
The member of government also went on to assure the population that two other vessels, loaded with Super, will arrive the country this week.  
Once this second consignment arrives, the Minister indicated that Cameroonians will be duly supplied fuel to take them through the festive period. He also appealed for calm and patient while the situation is being addressed.
Recall that the management of Cameroon Petroleum Deport Company, SCDP, had in a note made public recently, announced the arrival of a ship, loaded with petroleum products at the Port of Douala, on Sunday December 10.
“Operations are underway to ensure that trucks can begin loading for the country’s main cities…,” the note read in parts.
SCDP, in the note, had also assured the population of a fair rationing of the products, to ensure everyone gets a reasonable quantity of fuel.
In a tweet Sunday, the petroleum depot company, also gave details of what is being done to address the shortages but advised the public not to engage in stocking fuel. SCDP, in the tweet, warned that such moves could result in a catastrophe, given how inflammable petroleum products are.

Stress in the capital city
Meanwhile, on the night of Sunday, breaking yesterday, cab drivers, commercial motorcycle riders and car owners, went through hard times. Many moved from one fuel station to the other, in search of fuel.
Yesterday, school children and commuters in Yaounde were forced to trek as most cabs and bikes went out of circulation due to the absence of fuel.