Fuel Scarcity: Osun Moves To End Unfortunate Situation, Holds Stakeholders Meeting With Petroleum Marketers

By Ademiotan Adegbulugbe

Osun state government has expressed total dismay over the present hardship being experienced by motorists and other residents in the wake up of the petroleum scarcity in the state in recent times .

As part of the efforts of his administration to cushion the effects of the scarcity thereby bringing a lasting solution to it, governor Adegboyega Oyetola called for a stakeholders meeting with the Major and Independent Petroleum Marketers in the state aimed at fine tuning grey areas affecting the availability of the Premium Motor Spirits popularly known as petrol.

Speaking with the stakeholders through the State Commissioner for Commerce, Industry, Cooperatives and Empowerment, Dr.Bode Olaonipekun, governor Oyetola expressed shock,disbelief and unhappiness with the resurgence of long queues in virtually all filling stations throughout the state .

The governor who assured that normalcy would soon be restored ,called for an end to the arbitrary hike in prices per litre of the product in many filling stations

Checks carried out by this reporter revealed that in Osogbo where the product per chance is readily available ,it sells for as much as between N250 and N300 per litre, almost a double of the official N162/165 per litre .

This development as a matter of fact has made life more difficult for people as some of the motoring public who can not afford to bear the price hike have had to abandon their vehicles at home or offices to trek long distances .

The effects of the unavailability of the product which a lot of people attributed to hoarding of the product deliberately by petroleum marketers has brought both social and economic activities to a near state of paralysis in Osogbo and other major towns and cities of Osun.

Governor Oyetola through Dr Olaonipekun maintained the readiness of his administration to put all necessary machinery in place to make the product available very soon and to be also sold at an official pump price of N162 . He stressed that for effective result in this regard ,his administration will form a synergy with relevant regulatory agencies .

He stated further “The present administration in the state of Osun is not happy with the current hardships being experienced by the motoring and non motoring public.

“To this end ,we are prepared to do all the needful within the ambit of the law to get normalcy returned in Osun

“Though not limited to Osun state alone,I assure you, however ,that Oyetola administration will soon be on top of the situation.

“We can’t continue like this. We call for patient and understanding because very soon, both the motoring and non motoring public would heave a sigh of relief ” concluded Dr Olanipekun on behalf of governor Oyetola.

In his remarks, the Chairman House Committee on Commerce ,Industry, Cooperatives and Empowerment, Hon. Lateef Adebisi Jayeola also condemned the development stressing that all that are officially required to put a stop to the scarcity would be done by the state parliament.

He added that a special task force to that effect has been set up to address the issue of demand and supply of the PMS throughout Osun.

The state law maker also called for restraint and understanding of the people pending when there would be the way out .

In his own remarks at the stakeholders meeting which held in the Ministry of Commerce, industry,Cooperatives and empowerment, state secretariat Complex, Abeere, the Chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Osun state chapter, Alhaji Bukola Mutiu appreciated the various efforts of Governor Adegboyega Oyetola with a declaration that he would be the first Governor in the South West to create a stakeholders forum for petroleum marketers to register their concerns on the current situation.

While appreciating the governor and his administration for the genuine concern to ameliorate the situation for the overall happiness of the citizenry, he also sought the support and intervention of the state government to ensure the availability of the Petroleum products in the state.

Others present at the meeting were members of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority ( NMDPRA), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Manufacturer Association of Nigeria (MAN), Osun State Investment Promotion Agency(OSIPA) while the Coordinating Director of the Ministry ,Mrs Kehinde Odediran led other Directors and staff of the Ministry at the stakeholders meeting.