Feul Scarcity Bites In Imo, As Governor Okorocha Meets Petroleum Marketers/Dealers

BY GRACE IGWEANYI

The Imo State government yesterday took a step to end the biting fuel scarcity in Owerri when it met Petroleum Marketers/Dealers in Imo State at Government House.

An official press release signed by the Governor's Special Adviser on Media, Sam Onwuemedo, said the Governor held fruitful discussions with the marketers/Dealers on how to end the fuel scarcity that has crumbled economic activities in the State.

The Governor’s aide said the State government intends to make arrangements to bring fuel into the State to cushion the scarcity of the product.

 He was silent if the Marketers/Dealers agreed to re open the filling stations which have been under lock and key for three days.   

INNONEWS.COM had reported that Christopher Amadi, Chairman, and Association of Imo State Petroleum Marketers/Dealers blamed the hike in the pump price of petrol across the state on lapses from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC.

He said “As I am talking with you, no marketer in Imo has loaded the product at the government-approved price since the new price regime by the government.

“All the products we sell are sourced from private tank farms and the owners sell above the government’s rate.

“Yet they would force you to agree that the product was sold to you at the government approved rate.

He decried the difficulty faced by the dealers in sourcing the products and regretted the condemnation of the marketers by the public.

“There is no product at the Aba, Port Harcourt and Markurdi depots.

These are the sources we get products to sell to the people in Imo State and other south East States.

Amadi had said his members have been directed to stop buying the produced above the government approved pump price from private tank farms.

“We do not want to be seen to be disobeying government directive on the sale of the product and we calling on government to do all within its powers to ensure availability of petrol.

Despite yesterday’s intervention by the State government, motorists and commercial tricycle operators in Owerri continue to lament on the pains of the scarcity.

This has led to over 300% increase in transport fares. There are reports last night that some filling stations sell the product mid night.

There was no independent confirmation of these claims.