Abia State Task Force on Petroleum Products has called marketers of petroleum products in Aba, the commercial hub of the state to immediately reverse the ongoing hike they placed on petroleum products or face the wrath of the state government.
The task force in its resolve to ensure that the National petroleum pump price of N165 per litre is maintained has vowed to seal filling stations and have their Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) revoke should they insist on selling above the normal price.
Chairman of the task force, Chief Ahaoma Amalaha said that it is disheartening that after the state government had attended to the complaint the marketers made, brought a solution to the complaint, the majority of the filling stations in Aba have continued to sell fuel at N250-N300.
News Echo reports that petroleum marketers in Abia complained that the condition of the Ekeakpara Road which leads to the NNPC Mega Station at Osisioma prevents their tankers from lifting products from there and distributing them.
It was gathered that about one week ago, the petroleum marketers in Abia State had to go to neighbouring Port Harcourt in Rivers State to buy their products which they said brought them more expenses.
Confirming their complaints, Amalaha said that it is true after the marketers went to Port Harcourt to buy products, their expenses increased from N700,000 to N1,000,000 which led to the hike from N165 to N250 and N300 in most places.
The Abia petroleum taskforce boss said that the bad portions of Ekeakpara Road have been given palliative care and that tankers are now making use of it to distribute their products which should have brought about change to the original N165 per litre.
“We’re going around town to force them to reverse to the original price before the issue of the road was raised. If we see any filling station selling beyond N165, we’ll, first of all, sell the available products to buyers around at N165, seal the station and go as far as revoking the owners C of O so they can battle with the government.”
He said that it is unacceptable that one week after the marketers went to Port Harcourt to buy products which must have seen them almost sold out all they bought within that space of the week, they still want to sell product lifted from Osisioma Depot at the same price they sold the one they bought at Port Harcourt.
