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Yuletide: Long Queues Return To Filling Stations In PH
Barely a few days to the Christmas, filling stations in Port Harcourt and Obior/Akpor local government areas of Rivers State have begun to witness long queues.
The development, which began last Monday, entered the second day, yesterday, with long queues resurfacing in many filling stations in the two local government areas.
Our correspondents who went round Port Harcourt City and its environs, report that there were queues of vehicles at many filling stations along Port Harcourt-Aba Road, Peter Odili Road, Amadi-Ama, Abuloma, Ikwerre Road, Trans Amadi-Slaughter, Woji and Elelenwo on both Monday and yesterday.
Queues were recorded, yesterday, at filling stations such as Eterna Oil and Mobil at Peter Odili Road, Enyo at Amadi-Ama Roundabout while Linfox at Amadi-Ama and another filling station at Sasun Roundabout did not open to customers.
On Port Harcourt-Aba Road, Oando was seen dispensing fuel to customers who waited patiently on queues for Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) while Eterna Oil did not open for business.
There were also short queues at Conoil Filling Station at Education Bus Stop, and a filling station at Igwuruta Roundabout as at the time of filing this report.
However, The Tide’s check around Rumuosi axis and Obiri Ikwerre-Airport Road revealed that almost all the filling stations were dispensing PMS to customers without queue, except two stations that were closed for business.
Within the Rumuosi area, 95percent of the stations were selling, including the NNPC, Whiz Oil and Mobil as at yesterday morning.
Also, filling stations along the Igwuruta-Airport Road were selling without queue.
Further enquiry on why those few filling stations were not attending to customers revealed that the stations were in short supply of fuel.
A filling station attendant in one of the filling stations, Mr Kennedy Obinna, said those stations that were not dispensing fuel did not have the product.
It was further learnt that a few filling stations have jerked up the pump price per litre to between N170 and N180.
For instance, Conoil at Education Bus Stop, Mile One, was dispensing fuel at N180 per litre.
At Iwofe area, the story is not different as only one filling station, Anele Oil, was dispensing fuel to customers.
Others around the area shut down operations with bold inscriptions: “No fuel”, conspicuously displayed at their entry gates.
The Tide further learnt that even the few stations that have the product sell in the night.
The Station Manager, Heritage Oil and Gas, Iwofe, Mr. Agbasi Hector, attributed the fuel scarcity in the area to challenges in sourcing the product.
According to him, “Our trucks have been at the Petrol Star Depot since Thursday, last week, and up till now, we have not loaded.
“Before now, many depots had and sold but now only Petrol Star Depot loads, and the queue cannot be imagined”.
He urged the Federal Government to empower the private depots to import petroleum products to reduce the pressure on NNPC.
Another filling station, Onava Oil, said they have not had fuel for two months now.
Enyo Filling Station also claimed that they did not have fuel, but a reliable source told The Tide that the station had NNPC product, and only sells in the night.
A customer, Mrs. Nkeruka Amadi, lamented the recent development, saying she had not been able to buy fuel because all the stations around her house were not selling the product to customers.
It was, however, a different ball game at Rukpokwu, an outskirt of Port Harcourt, as the PMS sold at the normal N163 as at yesterday.
The issue of panic buying and long queues was also not recorded in the area.
The Tide learnt that some commuters, fearing that the pump price of PMS might soon go up, rushed to Rukpokwu to buy fuel at N163.
However, a taxi driver, Mr Allwell Amadi, who spoke to The Tide on the development, said there was no scarcity of fuel in the state, explaining that he has been buying fuel freely.
Meanwhile, a business executive, Mr John Igwe, has attributed the resurfacing of queues in many filling stations in Port Harcourt and its environs to a mere sabotage ahead of Christmas season.
According to him, the rumour of likely increase in the pump price of PMS has made some dealers to hoard products so as to make more gain.
The Tide recalls that the Federal Government has consistently given assurances that this year’s Christmas period would be devoid of the usual Yuletide fuel scarcity.
By: Boye Salau, Collins Walter, Lilian Peters & King Onuwhor
News
Let’s Approach Regional Development Issues Differently – Fubara …As S’South Govs Host Fubara To 50th Birthday Celebration
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has sued for a change in the current approach adopted by South South Governors in their pursuit to achieve holistic regional development and economic prosperity.
The governor insisted on de-emphasis in vested individuals’ political interests while looking at the bigger picture of achieving enduring regional integration that will strengthen unity of purpose to change the trajectory of development in the region.
Fubara made the appeal during the meeting of Governors of South-South States, under the auspices of BRACED Commission, at the Bayelsa State Government House in Yanagoa on Tuesday.
This was contained in a statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Nelson Chukwudi.
BRACED is an acronym for Bayelsa, Rivers, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Edo and Delta.
He said: “I want to appeal that if we have to succeed in this drive, we need to keep our political differences aside and understand that the struggle, as at today, is for posterity, for the development of our region.
“It is really sad that in Niger Delta that is the economic base of this country, the construction of a road that you tagged ‘East-West Road’ could be an issue, that we need to beg, protest, and complain to get it fixed. I don’t think it is proper.”
Governor Fubara stated that it is not that the federal authorities do not understand that Niger Delta needs the road but quickly added that they have seen that even the people of the region do not take themselves seriously.
The governor said the moment Niger Delta people stopped playing to the gallery, and place value on themselves, outsiders will have no option than to accord the region and its people due regard.
Fubara said: “On my part, I want to say this: This is not the first time we are meeting. For me, I followed the course of the region meeting in a forum that we tagged “BRACED Commission.”
“BRACED Commission is also one of the bodies that was constituted at that time to support and work out development strategies for this region. But what I am seeing today is just limiting this meeting to only BRACED COMMISSION.
“We need to widen the scope where other leaders of the region should be part of the discussion of the development of the region, and I think this is the direction that will help the region.”
Reading the Communique of the meeting, the new Chairman of the Forum of Governors of South-South States, and Governor of Bayelsa State, Senator Douye Diri, said they support the Federal Government Tax Reform Bills, and urged President Bola Tinubu to extend the Value Added Tax (VAT) sharing percentages to oil and gas derivation.
He stated the Forum’s request to the Federal Government to urge relevant stakeholders and agencies to extend remediation of polluted environment ongoing in Ogoni land to other impacted communities and States in the region.
Governor Diri also said that the Forum resolved to establish a structural regional security network to enhance safety and security, foster stable Niger Delta region conducive for economic growth and prosperity.
Highlight of the event was the hosting of Governor Fubara to a surprise 50th Birthday celebration by the Governors of South-South States at the Government House in Yenagoa.
News
Fubara Lauds Tinubu For Setting Up Education Load Fund … Vows To Ensure Rivers Benefit Maximally From Scheme
The Rivers State Government has applauded President Ahmed Bola Tinubu for conceiving the idea of setting up the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) which has opened up opportunities for youths to acquire tertiary education irrespective of their financial status.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, gave the commendation while playing host to a delegation from NELFUND who came on an advocacy visit to the Government House in Port Harcourt on Tuesday.
Represented by his deputy, Prof. Ngozi Nma Odu, Governor Fubara said in developed countries it is common for people to go through school with loans which they sometimes pay all throughout their lives, noting that “for us, it is more accessible and more friendly because you would be required to pay back the loan two years after your National Youth Service.
“It is a win-win situation; it is a situation where the youths in Nigeria should not say because my parents are poor or passed away I cannot improve on my educational growth. This offers them a golden opportunity and I am glad you came for this advocacy.”
The governor urged NELFUND to intensify its advocacy to let the people know how they can benefit from it, adding that it is more important when talking about vocational institutions.
“If you look at the developed countries it is people that went to the vocational schools that make so much money, because it is pricey to get somebody to do anything, we need to instil this into our people, our youths, because people sometimes tend to look down on people that went to vocational schools, it should not be,” he said.
Fubara expressed delight with the NELFUND programme and assured that the State Government would do whatever it can to ensure Rivers State benefits maximally from the scheme.
In his remarks, the Managing Director and Chief Executive of NELFUND, Dr. Akintunde Sawyer, informed the governor that they were in Rivers State to seek the support of the State Government towards the loan, stressing that President Tinubu has directed them to ensure no Nigerian student who has the ability and desire to get educated at tertiary level is denied the opportunity due to lack of funding.
He explained that the scheme provides interest-free loans to students who apply, adding that these loans are not repayable until two years after their Youth Service when they must have gotten a job.
A British-Nigerian politician, Florence Eshalomi, has been appointed as the United Kingdom’s trade envoy to Nigeria.
Her appointment makes Eshalomi the second Nigerian to hold the position.
Confirming her appointment on X on Tuesday, she wrote: “It is an honour to have been appointed as the United Kingdom’s Trade Envoy to Nigeria.
“I’m looking forward to building on my close ties with Nigeria to promote a strong and flourishing economic relationship between our two great nations.
“I am looking forward to strengthening the UK’s relationship with Nigeria to explore shared growth and opportunities for both countries.”
Announcing the appointment in a statement on Tuesday, Jonathan Reynolds, the UK’s Business and Trade Secretary, said the decision was aimed at attracting investment into the UK and boosting economic growth.
“I’ve launched a new team of trade envoys who will use their experience, expertise, and knowledge to unlock new markets around the world for British businesses, attract investment into the UK, and ultimately drive economic growth,” Reynolds said.
Eshalomi, 44, is an MP representing the Vauxhall and Camberwell Green constituency.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts (Hons) in Political and International Studies with Law from Middlesex University.