Transportation and other economic activities were affected on Tuesday by a scarcity of petroleum products in Umuahia, the capital of Abia State.
The shortage resulted from petrol station operators withdrawing services in the town.
The operators’ action came despite an appeal from Mr Chukwudi Ezinwa, a representative of IPMAN, who on Monday urged IPMAN members in the South East to ignore the NUPENG strike.
A visit to Umuahia by DAILY POST revealed that most petrol stations were closed, while a few that opened earlier in the morning later locked their premises, much to the disappointment of transporters and other consumers.
Some stations told frustrated customers that they had exhausted their petroleum products on Monday.
Black market dealers took advantage of the scarcity to sell one litre of PMS at N1,400 to N1,500.
Tricycle and bus operators, expressing their frustration, threatened to increase transport fares by Wednesday if the shortage and high petrol prices continued.
Others accused petrol station owners of deliberately hoarding fuel products.
