Fuel Subsidy: RSG Slashes Transport Fares …Says Jonathan On Rescue Mission …Plans Seven Discount Markets

Worried over the sudden rise in transport fares and prices of food stuffs following the removal of fuel subsidy earlier this month, the Rivers State Government has unveiled measures to cushion the effects of the hike in transport fares as it has liaised with the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) to slash transport fares by 50 percent.

The plans were made public by Governor Chibuike Amaechi in a state wide broadcast on Tuesday following a meeting with Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and NURTW chiefs in the state.

With the recent development, bus fares in the state would be N50 in all the routes within the city except those of Park to Rumuola, Rumuola to Oil Mill, Mile 3 to Rumuokuta all going for N70, while that between Rumuokoro to Choba goes for N100 per drop.

The Governor also said the government had worked out measures to further cut the pump price of fuel below the official price of N141 to N137 per litre, adding, “we owe an obligation to guarantee the security of your resources under every circumstance. This is why as a government, we cannot standby and watch while a tiny cabal appropriate your resources to feather their already cushioned nests”.

To guarantee this, Amaechi explained that the government in line with its meeting with Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) in the state would pay for all petroleum products allocated to the State.

He further explained, “Government will also guarantee escort of these tankers to the stations and monitor them to ensure that there is no diversion of products outside the state”.

Amaechi therefore enjoined all IPMAN members in the state to register with the Pipeline Products Marketing Company (PPMC), as he directed all local representatives to monitor the implementation of the decision.

Speaking with Government House Reporters after meeting with the Governor, Chairman of IPMAN, Chief Samuel Osaroejoor assured that the body was poised to partner with government to ensure that the effects of the strike and subsidy removal were not heavily felt in the state, ” we are prepared and committed to work with government to ensure that there is enough petrol distribution in Rivers State.”

On why he took the decision Amaechi remarked, “the decision to suspend the 11 chairmen was taken with a lot of challenge in my mind , but it has become necessary because the Chairmen have become distant from the people they are leading”.

The Rivers State Governor held that at a time like this the Council Executives were expected to be alert and alive to their duties,” they were  carried away by the trapping  of their office” he noted,” what we have now is emergency and therefore calls for vigilance and requires presence of mind from the leaders.”

Rivers State Governor Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi has appealed to labour unions in Rivers State to collaborate and work with government to transform the economy.

He made the appeal yesterday, when members of the Rivers State branch of the Trade Union Congress (TUC) and the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) led a protest march to Government House, Port Harcourt over the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government.

Governor Amaechi who is also Chairman, Nigeria Governors’ Forum, said the President’s decision on removal of subsidy is to rescue the economy of the country.

“The President is on a rescue mission. We know that there are challenges in the society, but Nigeria cannot continue to go the way Nigeria is going now”.

I will plead with Labour to please bear with the President. We don’t have two countries, we have just one country. The challenge of this country today is the sectarian killings in the country and Labour should not be part of it by doing what they are doing now because we will confuse the sectarian killings to be oil subsidy crisis and we will run into trouble”, he said.

Governor Amaechi said in a meeting with National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Rivers State Chapter and with Petroleum Marketers in the state, government had worked out measures to cut the pump price of fuel from the current benchmark of N141 to N137 per litre.

“As a State Government we will not be willing to go above N137 for fuel pump price. We owe an obligation to guarantee the security of your resources under every circumstance. This is why as a government we cannot stand by and watch while a tiny cabal appropriate your resources to feather their already cushioned nests”.

“I have agreed with them (NURTW) that no transport fare should be above N70 apart from fares for Choba and Rumuokoro. We have agreed that the fare from Mile three to Education bus stop should be N50; from Education Bus Stop to Rumuola N50, from Garrison to Park, N50”, he said.

Also as a palliative measure, Governor Amaechi said his government would provide mass transit buses which would be managed by the NURTW.

Also, as part of his efforts to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal on Rivers people, Governor Amaechi continued his series of meetings with stakeholders in the oil sector and related sectors with a parley with major petroleum products marketers and petroleum tank farm owners in Government House yesterday. The meeting was to ensure that the N137 pump price for a litre of petrol in Rivers State is implemented by all the petroleum marketers in the state.

As part of measures to cushion the effects of the fuel subsidy removal and the attendant inflation, the Rivers State Government has commenced plans to establish seven special markets tagged, “discount markets,” to provide cheaper and accessible goods to the citizenry.

Governor Chibuike Amaechi disclosed the plans Tuesday in a special broadcast he made to the people of the state.

According to Rt Hon Amaechi, each of the three senatorial districts would have two of the markets with one located in Port Harcourt, totalling seven.

He also said that, “these discount markets will guarantee direct purchase from manufacturers. The State Government will guarantee that the products are transported at minimal costs to the markets to ensure greater and cheaper access to our people.”

The scheme is to be run by the State Ministry of Commerce and is expected to commence immediately,” Amaechi maintained.

Adding he said, “we are certain that these measures will truly assist in guaranteeing our people lower costs even as we maintain our welfarist disposition to managing our economy.”

The Governor while urging labour unions and civil society groups to review their labour action opined that the economy will be seriously affected, “this would only cause untold hardship to the poorest of our people”, he lamented.

He assured of government’s readiness to continue dialogue with labour, hence, the need for the labour body to put the interest of the nation ahead.

Consequently, the Rivers State Government said the new mass transit buses to be purchased by the federal government would not be managed by the State Government but by the National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW).

Governor Amaechi made the disclosure while addressing a labour protest at Government House yesterday.

He said, “so we are talking with NURTW and we will ask them to manage but at our own price.”

Ameachi who addressed the huge protesters that march round the city, assured of taking their message to the Presidency but stressed the need for all Nigerians to be patient with the Federal Government over the subsidy removal, “I plead with you give us the benefit of the doubt. As I speak with you, before the end of this year, things will begin to change”.

He maintained that the policy was aimed at strenghtening the economy and at the same time checking corruption in the system, as he pleaded for patience and understanding from the populace.

Rivers State Governor, Rt. Hon. Chibuike Rotimi Amaechi addressing workers during their protest march over fuel subsidy removal to Government House, Port Harcourt, yesterday.