By Victor Kwame Sampong
The fuel scarcity in Port Harcourt continued unabated into the new year, as petrol stations hiked their prices to as high as N500 per litre.
Our fellow citizens sold this premium product on the black market for between N700-800 per litre, and it was difficult to do business, though some of us still managed to keep our heads above water anyway.
I knew I couldn't risk paying such astronomical sums to fuel my car. I go just sick if I try am. {I'll fall ill if I try it} Instead, I chose to go to stations that sell at the official pump rate or slightly above it, since I don't do well with queues.
So, I go to these select stations from about 2am and stay there till around 10am when they'll open for business. Once they open, in a few minutes, I'll fill up my tank, go home and sleep, then resume at night. So, all through this dark period in Port Harcourt, I chose to work only at night, so as to conserve the fuel for more days.
I was not even the only one using this format. By the time I get there by 2am, I'll still meet a couple of cars there. Then in an hour's time, the line would start taking shape. By dawn, the place would be buzzing. When it's morning proper, it's a frenzy out there.
We usually form little groups here and there, holding small discussions about a wide range of issues till some of us wear out and retire into our cars to take a short nap. By the time you wake up, the setting would have completely changed with cars everywhere.
As a result of the fuel situation, I tend to also select the kind of rides I accept. Anyone that doesn't suit me financially gets cancelled or ignored.
On Sunday night, I had just finished dropping off a nice young man at Agip Estate when another order came in. It seemed close so I accepted it. When I called, the girl was on Douglas Road (the Chinda link road that leads to Rumuolumeni).
I tried to go pick her up, but the direct link road from Road 24 to Chinda Road was locked because it was almost midnight. When I called to tell her I have to cancel, she begged me not to because she won't get another ride. She had been rejected 4 times already. I wouldn't budge, not until she told me she even knew me because my number was saved on her phone. But what moved me was when she promised to double whatever cost is displayed on the app. Sweet deal.
I manoeuvred my way to get to where she said she would be, but she wasn't there. I called again and she was still inside her compound, trying to get out. She said her landlord didn't take her calls (as he must either be sleeping or just plainly ignored them) and her only option was to jump over the fence and my help would be needed to effect her escape from the house.
She pleaded further that it was an 'emergency pass' that just came and it was so lucrative otherwise, she wouldn't go through this in other to meet up. Another Two thousand naira was promised on top of the already agreed sum if I play my part to help her outside.
I positioned the back side of my car at the fence where she was, climbed on the boot, then onto the fence, reached out for her hands and pulled her onto it as well. We both climbed down to the boot and entered the vehicle. Yeah, quite risky, but hey...the end justifies the means.
Oh well, I recognized her so well the moment she got into the car. About three months back, I had picked up some people who arrived in Port Harcourt very late at night from Lagos. Their bus stopped at Nkpolu-Rumuigbo Junction, just around midnight. She begged to join the ride separately, so I can drop her off after finishing the ride with the original person who booked. That's how we exchanged contacts and kept in touch for a few weeks before falling off.
We picked up her friend and colleague in the business at Royal Highness Road just close by and made our way to Old GRA...The Crib.
The app displayed Three Thousand Naira, which she promised to double, making it Six Thousand Naira, plus the escape fee of Two Thousand Naira for a total sum of Eight Thousand Naira. She paid me Nine Thousand Naira cash upon getting there.
From their conversations during the ride, the person they were billed to see seemed to be a top priority level client and it was a threesome they were going for. Also, they both might have formed some kind of tag team on such missions, because they recounted some of their previous rodeos and things they needed to do to improve on their performances and client satisfaction.
That would make for another week's episode entirely.
After payment, we bade each other farewell and I wished them good luck and a fruitful mission. After all, like House of Rep Member and aspirant would always say on his campaign posters: You Win, I Win.
And in this case: They Win, I Win!
The fuel scarcity in Port Harcourt continued unabated into the new year, as petrol stations hiked their prices to as high as N500 per litre.
Our fellow citizens sold this premium product on the black market for between N700-800 per litre, and it was difficult to do business, though some of us still managed to keep our heads above water anyway.
I knew I couldn't risk paying such astronomical sums to fuel my car. I go just sick if I try am. {I'll fall ill if I try it} Instead, I chose to go to stations that sell at the official pump rate or slightly above it, since I don't do well with queues.
So, I go to these select stations from about 2am and stay there till around 10am when they'll open for business. Once they open, in a few minutes, I'll fill up my tank, go home and sleep, then resume at night. So, all through this dark period in Port Harcourt, I chose to work only at night, so as to conserve the fuel for more days.
I was not even the only one using this format. By the time I get there by 2am, I'll still meet a couple of cars there. Then in an hour's time, the line would start taking shape. By dawn, the place would be buzzing. When it's morning proper, it's a frenzy out there.
We usually form little groups here and there, holding small discussions about a wide range of issues till some of us wear out and retire into our cars to take a short nap. By the time you wake up, the setting would have completely changed with cars everywhere.
As a result of the fuel situation, I tend to also select the kind of rides I accept. Anyone that doesn't suit me financially gets cancelled or ignored.
On Sunday night, I had just finished dropping off a nice young man at Agip Estate when another order came in. It seemed close so I accepted it. When I called, the girl was on Douglas Road (the Chinda link road that leads to Rumuolumeni).
I tried to go pick her up, but the direct link road from Road 24 to Chinda Road was locked because it was almost midnight. When I called to tell her I have to cancel, she begged me not to because she won't get another ride. She had been rejected 4 times already. I wouldn't budge, not until she told me she even knew me because my number was saved on her phone. But what moved me was when she promised to double whatever cost is displayed on the app. Sweet deal.
I manoeuvred my way to get to where she said she would be, but she wasn't there. I called again and she was still inside her compound, trying to get out. She said her landlord didn't take her calls (as he must either be sleeping or just plainly ignored them) and her only option was to jump over the fence and my help would be needed to effect her escape from the house.
She pleaded further that it was an 'emergency pass' that just came and it was so lucrative otherwise, she wouldn't go through this in other to meet up. Another Two thousand naira was promised on top of the already agreed sum if I play my part to help her outside.
I positioned the back side of my car at the fence where she was, climbed on the boot, then onto the fence, reached out for her hands and pulled her onto it as well. We both climbed down to the boot and entered the vehicle. Yeah, quite risky, but hey...the end justifies the means.
Oh well, I recognized her so well the moment she got into the car. About three months back, I had picked up some people who arrived in Port Harcourt very late at night from Lagos. Their bus stopped at Nkpolu-Rumuigbo Junction, just around midnight. She begged to join the ride separately, so I can drop her off after finishing the ride with the original person who booked. That's how we exchanged contacts and kept in touch for a few weeks before falling off.
We picked up her friend and colleague in the business at Royal Highness Road just close by and made our way to Old GRA...The Crib.
The app displayed Three Thousand Naira, which she promised to double, making it Six Thousand Naira, plus the escape fee of Two Thousand Naira for a total sum of Eight Thousand Naira. She paid me Nine Thousand Naira cash upon getting there.
From their conversations during the ride, the person they were billed to see seemed to be a top priority level client and it was a threesome they were going for. Also, they both might have formed some kind of tag team on such missions, because they recounted some of their previous rodeos and things they needed to do to improve on their performances and client satisfaction.
That would make for another week's episode entirely.
After payment, we bade each other farewell and I wished them good luck and a fruitful mission. After all, like House of Rep Member and aspirant would always say on his campaign posters: You Win, I Win.
And in this case: They Win, I Win!
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