Leadership (Abuja)
Patrick Ochoga
1 January 2009
Benin City — The Edo State Branch of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and other stakeholders in the distribution and sales of petroleum products in Edo state have assured the Edo State Government that they would not sell petroleum products above the official pump price of N70.
This assurance was given after a meeting with the governor Comrade Adams Oshiomhole, security agencies and top key government officials after the governor has ordered the closure of some filling stations that were found to be involved in illegal hike and arbitrary charges from the citizens.
Members of the union said that they wouldn't have been selling above N70 if they were loading from the Benin depot and urged the governor to help them in making the products available in Benin .
According to them, "if we are loading from Benin depot, no marketer will sell above N70 because when the filling stations are loaded with petroleum products, nobody will enter a station that adds additional money. We are ready to partner with relevant agencies to ensure that pipelines are secure and fuel is being pumped to Benin depot. That is the only panacea that can ensure that there is availability of petroleum products in Edo State ."
Benin PPMC Depot Manager, Mr. James Agada said that the inability of Warri depot to supply enough products to Benin depot caused them to plead with marketers to bring products from Lagos and other cities.
Comrade Oshiomhole on his part said that whatever reasons they have given to justify their increment of prices of petroleum products in Edo State is not acceptable to the state government as Government laws, rules and regulations are meant to be enforced and that nobody is at liberty to break the law.
The Governor said "N70 is sacrosanct. The whole country is putting pressure to reduce the price of petroleum products and NNPC said no. Our concern is that the approved prices have to be observed in all parts Edo State . You cannot engage in any business that is against the law. If the only way to remain in business it to infringe on the law, you can only be advised to stay out of business. I cannot as governor in view of your explanation set the law aside and do as you wish. That will be illegal for me. The law must be enforced. We can follow you to Warri to find out why and make them increase the distribution to Edo State ".
The governor said that they should have look for ways to make profit rather than making the poor to pay more and promised to assist them where he could.
In his words "The fact that everybody is selling at different prices shows that it depends on the instinct of the individual on how much more they want to make. There are no doubts that if there are problem that are beyond you, there are also quite a number that are of your own creation. The ones that we can do, I will look if we can visit Warri to talk to depot people to find out why they are giving twenty trucks to three states in a day. I know that the marketers don't import as much as they claim. They get favorable deals from NNPC and collect commission. And they go round and sell these products at exorbitant price. They make so much money and impoverish the population. I have always wondered why the Federal Government allows them to do that. The ones we can do we will support you to do it, the ones that is of your own making, you have to change your attitude."
"On those that were arrested, I feel that for too long, the Nigerian big man somehow can breach the law and go and sleep unlike the poor man; this is unacceptable. Problems are no excuse for breaching the law. You have to manage and see how you can keep your products within the law. The reason I asked the CP and the SSS to join us is that we are going to ruthlessly enforce the law including in my village. You want me to follow you to Warri, I will do and if I found out they are leaking products to Lagos therefore sabotaging the economy of South-South, I will report to the President. We cannot accept that we that produce the oil do not get at the correct price.
"My instruction to the Police is that they should take them to the police cell. To be honest, there have been too much exploitation in the state. I don't want to say release them. I have already exhausted my powers to arrest my suspects and handover to the police. If you assure me that you will sell these products at N70, then I will sign an undertaking with the Commissioner of Police for the release of those arrested", the governor explained.
Be the first to Write a Comment!
Copyright © 2009 Leadership. All rights reserved. Distributed by AllAfrica Global Media (allAfrica.com). To contact the copyright holder directly for corrections — or for permission to republish or make other authorized use of this material, click here.
AllAfrica aggregates and indexes content from over 125 African news organizations, plus more than 200 other sources, who are responsible for their own reporting and views. Articles and commentaries that identify allAfrica.com as the publisher are produced or commissioned by AllAfrica.
