Fuel Scarcity: Group Seeks Wike’s Intervention

Disturbed by a renewed
scarcity of fuel in Rivers State, a Non-Governmental Organisation, South South Youth Consultative Enlightenment and Mobilisation Council, (SSYCEMOC) has urged the Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Wike to set up task force to monitor distribution of petroleum products in the state.
SSYCEMOC said that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has failed in its role of implementing the distribution and sale of products in the state.
Director of Publicity of the Council, Comrade Chris Nnodim who spoke to The Tide Friday in an interview in Port Harcourt expressed worry over the hardship being suffered by the masses as a result of the scarcity of the products especially the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol.
Nnodim noted that long queues have returned to the filling stations and that the product instead of being sold at the official pump price ofN86.50, now sells between N110 and N130 at the few stations having the product.
According to him, “for over seven months, the Federal Government has failed in ensuring that its directive on official pump price is being implemented thereby putting Nigerians at the mercy of Shylock marketers in the nation”.
He said only an active task force by the Rivers State Government could save the masses in the state in view of the failure of DPR to monitor the activities of petroleum marketers.
The SSYCEMOC spokesman said the continued suffering by Nigerians over the issue of petroleum product supply in Nigeria which is the sixth largest producer of crude oil in the world is a challenge to the government.
“Let Governor Wike come to the aid of the people by setting up a taskforce  to monitor the implementation of petroleum product sales in the state”, he stated.
Investigation has shown that product scarcity resurfaced early last week, pushing the price above the official price.
Out of over 20 filling stations between Choba and Mbiama, only three were open to customers on Saturday and the ones selling, sold above the official pump price.
Marketers told The Tide that it is difficult getting products from the depots and that the depot operators sold to them at N99.00 per litre instead of N77, making it impossible for them to sell at the official pump price of N86.50 per litre.

Chris Oluoh