The much desired end to
hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol in Rivers State appears not to be in sight as marketers have undermined all strategies adopted by the government to ensure that they resort to the official pump price of N86.50 per litre.
Our correspondent who monitored the sales of the product in some filling stations in the state at the weekend reported that in most of the stations visited, the least obtainable price per litre is N120.00.
Our correspondent said only the mega station owned by the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and few of the major marketers sell at the normal price.
Ekechukwu Mgbeoji, a taxi driver said, it is only NNPC mega station that sells at N86.00 per litre. The other major marketers as Total and Conoil sell at the regulated price also but most times, they hoard the product. They sell to black marketers at higher prices in the odd hours and claim they have no products to sell to us in the day time.”
Following public outcry by residents of the state, the Rivers State Government had set up a task force to monitor the alleged fraudulent activities of marketers in the state.
The taskforce team was announced last week by the Commissioner for Energy but attempts to get in contact with the team leader could not yield result.
An attendant in one of the stations who pleaded anonymity said,” as long as we do not get the product from the depots at the official price, it would be wrong to expect us to sell at the N86.50 and still remain in business.
“Let the action begin from the depot and if it is gotten right there, every other aspect would be okay”.

Chris Oluoh