By Titus Oise, Benin
The biting fuel scarcity and its attendant exploitative prices may soon be a thing of the past in edo state as the state government announced the supply of 780, 000 litres of the product and the setting up of a task force to monitor its distributions and sales in filling stations across the state.
Giving the assurance of an end to the scarcity in Benin on Tuesday at a press conference, the Commissioner for Mining and Energy, Etan Uzamere, said that the supplied product would be distributed among major and independent marketers.
Flanked by the Commissioner for Communications and Orientation, Mr. Chris Nehikhare and Crusoe Osagie,SpecialAdviser to Governor Godwin Obaseki on Media and Publicity, the commissioner stressed that the state government would monitor the sales of fuel in the state to ensure that members of the public were not exploited by the operators of the various filling stations.
Uzamere hinted that members of the Petroleum Monitoring Task force would be unveiled later Tuesday evening, assuring that all efforts would be put in place to ensure that no product supplied to Edo State is diverted to any other place.
The press conference, which followed the meeting between the state government and the Civil Societies in the state, the government said, became necessary to intimate the people with the efforts the government was making to ease the effect of the fuel scarcity.
“The government has heard the cries of the people on the issue of fuel scarcity in the state. The state government is working to ensure the availability of the product. As part of the measures, the government has set up a task force to monitor the situation and ensure that no Edo State citizen is exploited. We also wish to announce that already, the state has received 780,000 litres of fuel which will be distributed to major and independent marketers and the task force, whose members will be announced before the close of work today, will monitor its distribution and sales”, Uzamere said.
Also speaking, Nehikhare reiterated that “the issue of the welfare of the citizens of edo State is very crucial and the government takes that seriously. We understand the issue of fuel scarcity and we take that also very seriously. Though distribution is not done here in Edo State, we will ensure the quantity allocated to Edo State is retained here and sold here. No single litre of the 780,000 litres will be allowed to be diverted”.
Nehikhare, while commending the Civil society organisations(CSOs) for the maturity displayed in handling the protest that erupted on Monday over the fuel crisis, said that the government would continue to engage all stakeholders in a bid to find lasting solutions to the issue.
In his remarks, the Special Adviser to the governor on Media, Osagie, said that parts of the duties of the task force would be to monitor pricing in the state.
“We want to warn people who jack up their prices that anyone who is caught would be severely punished according to the dictates of the law. The government will not take prisoners in that regard as no Edo person is exploited. We will guard against subjecting Edo people to pain. This government is committed and will leave no stone unturned in ensuring normal pricing of petrol in the state”, Osagie warned
