Motorists in Calabar metropolis are now resorting to panic buying of petrol following the commencement of indefinite strike by organised labour.

It would be recalled that organised labour declared a nationwide indefinite strike effective June 3 as part of agitations for minimum wage increase.

A survey around the city on Monday showed long queues of vehicles at the few petrol stations that opened for business.

Many petrol stations in the city were shut down in compliance with the labour union directive for an indefinite strike, while the few outlets that opened sold petrol at between N760 and N800.

Some of the drivers who spoke to journalists said that their intention was to store up petrol to avoid running out of stock during the strike.

One of them, Andrew Ekpenyong, a civil servant, said that there was so much uncertainty around the rift between labour and the government.

“Nobody knows when it will end; nobody wants to be caught without petrol at a time like this,” he said.

On his part, Jones Adah, a commercial bus driver, said that the strike had already made it difficult to access petrol.

“They are hoarding the product; they are creating artificial scarcity because there is a strike.

“So I am here to buy some petrol so that I can go about my businesses during the strike,” he said.

The strike brought many activities in the city to a halt, with public schools, banks, hospitals and other establishments completely shut down.

(NAN)