Business
LG Chiefs Task NNPC On Kerosene Distribution
Some local government chairmen in Lagos State have charged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to sustain the mobile truck kerosene distribution to Lagosians.
They told newsmen in separate interviews recently that NNPC must ensure that the distribution was not a one-off thing but a sustainable effort that impacts on the lives of Nigerians.
The Chairman of Surulere Local Government Area, Dr. Rasaq Folami, described government-direct grassroots sale of kerosene initiative as laudable venture that needed the input of all stakeholders to sustain.
He said that Lagos citizens had over the years suffered from inadequate supply of kerosene following persistent racketeering of the product by most sale outlets.
“We hardly believed that common people could get kerosene in Lagos with the high prices in some filling stations but today I can see the good intention of government through mobile truck dispensing in Lagos.
“We appeal to NNPC and Capital Oil and Gas to ensure good sustainability of the `kero-direct to my people’ because this is the only products that affects my people directly,’’ he said.
Kunle Soname, the chairman, Ikosi/Isheri Local Council Development Area, also commended the initiative toward ensuring that rural people had access to kerosene. He said the council had fashioned ways of curtailing multiple purchase of kerosene as a means of ensuring that people do not re-sell the products.
Kosofe Local Government Chairman, Mr. Ademuyiwa Adedeji said that sustained direct dispensing of kerosene would contribute immensely in curtailing artificial scarcity in Lagos.
Adedeji said that the attention generated by the recent mobile-direct sale of kerosene was an attestation of the fact that kerosene remained the most popular fuel of the masses.
In a contribution, the Chairman of Amuwo-Odofin Local Government, Mr. Ayodele Adewale said that direct distribution of kerosene has provided succor to the residents of Festac Town and environs, who have suffered so much in search of the product.
“This programme is well deserved and appreciated by all in this community. We will ensure that everybody gets equal quantity of kerosene at N50 per litre as directed.
Over 1,300 residents of Festac and its environs bought kerosene from the mobile trucks and we hope this will continues until the least person get kerosene,’’ he said,
Adewale, however, assured NNPC/Capital that the council would ensure that the trucks and staff were adequately protected. He said the council had also put in place a mechanism to ensure that nobody buys more than 25 liters of kerosene at a time.
Reporters who monitored the mobile trucks kerosene dispensing in Lagos, say that five trucks of 22,000 capacity was stationed at some councils visited.
Our source also learnt that about 150,000 liters of kerosene were dispensed to over 5,000 household in Surulere, Ikosi/Isheri, Kosofe, Apapa and Amuwo-Odofin local Government areas of Lagos.