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Fuel Scarcity Bites Harder …As TUC Accuses Tanker Owners Of Sabotage
Rivers State Governor, Chief Nyesom Ezenwo Wike (left), congratulating Barrister Harvey Ideozu, after being sworn-in as Special Adviser to the Governor in Government House, Port Harcourt, recently.
Fuel scarcity situation is getting to its crescendo across the country with most filling stations in the oil-rich Rivers State being shut down for lack of products.
Our Correspondent who monitored the development reports that in the few stations selling, long fuel queues have become the order of the day.
At Oando Petrol Station in Mile 111, Port Harcourt, attendants shut their gates from motorists only selling to jerry-can carrying black marketers.
One of the marketers told The Tide that before they sell to us, we pay N4,000 per 20 litre jerry-can.
Chibor Onwuamaegbu, a bus driver said, “I have been here for the past two hours but they wouldn’t sell to us. They sell only to the black marketers who re-sell to us at the cost of N250 per litre”.
The scarcity could be said to be ravaging across the country today, but the case of Rivers State started about three weeks ago when NUPENG and PENGASSAN embarked on a state wide strike following an industrial dispute between oil workers and the management of WEATHER FORD Nigeria Limited.
Though the State government intervened and got the strike suspended pending the outcome of a negotiation between the company and leadership of the two oil unions, the tanker drivers, national Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) and National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) commenced nationwide strike over the deplorable condition of refinery roads across Nigeria.
To worsen the situation, private tank owners have been accused of by Marketers of hoarding and selling above official price thereby causing artificial scarcity across the nation.
Motorists in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital spend several hours on the long queues struggling to buy petrol due to scarcity of the product allegedly caused by marketers who hoard petrol over non-payment of subsidy funds.
Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Mr. Sunny Nkpe said the association was yet to feel the impact of the recent payment of N413 billion outstanding money to depot owners by the Federal Government.
Nkpe however, said the union has commenced the implementation of an intervention measure to cushion the impact of the current scarcity of the products in the state.
Meanwhile the Trade Union Congress of Nigeria (TUC), Rivers State, expressed serious worry over the continued determination of the private depot owners to starve Rivers people of petroleum products, and worsen the hardship faced by the people.
In a statement in Port Harcourt, Saturday the state Chairman, TUC, Comrade Chika Onuegbu alleged that “currently, they have shut their depots and only sell at nights at exorbitant prices.”
The statement, a copy of which was made available to The Tide, called “on the DPR, law enforcement agencies and the Rivers State Government to enforce the law by ensuring that the depots are open and that the available products are released to petroleum marketers, including IPMAN since President Buhari has approved about N413billion subsidy payment backlog.
“It is, indeed, shameful that this cartel will subject Nigerians and Rivers people to excruciating pains just because they want to make super profit despite government’s intervention,” Onuegbu stated.
The on-going scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit also known as petrol is biting harder in the country as users are forced to pay far above the recommended price of N87 per litre in most of the filling stations that sell the product, our correspondent has learnt.
Investigations also revealed that petrol now sells in some states as high as N400 per litre while in others it goes for between N110 and N200.
However, some filling stations as at press time on Saturday, according to our correspondents, still sold the product at the official price of N87 per litre. These filling stations, findings showed, were, however, few and inundated with long queues of motorists, motorcyclists and other users.
In Cross River State, a litre of petrol was sold for as high as N400 in Calabar and environs on Saturday morning.
Tanker drivers across the state and beyond had on Monday refused to load the product from the Calabar Depot in protest of the deplorable situation of federal roads in the state.
As at the time of filing this report, most service stations had yet to commence the sale of the product to the public. Black marketers had continued to have a field day.
Many petrol stations in Akwa Ibom State, particularly those in Ibesikpo/Asutan, Eket, and Itu Local Government Areas on Saturday sold petrol at N200 per litre.
In Uyo, the State capital, while the price fluctuated between N170 and N180 per litre, motorists said many of the filling stations had adjusted their metres regardless of the amount they pay for buying fuel.
In Ondo State, long queues of vehicles persisted in many filling stations in many towns on Saturday even as many of them sold petrol at N120 per litre.
In Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, there were long queues at filling stations on Saturday especially those owned by major marketers.
A litre of petrol was being sold between N100 and N110 depending on the distance of the area to the state capital.
In Enugu State, petrol was sold between N130 and N150 per litre. Our correspondent, who bought the commodity at the cost of N140 per litre in the state capital on Saturday, learnt that the product was being offered to motorists for N150 in other filling stations.
In Oyo State, fuel scarcity reached a height as few vehicles plied the roads.
More than 85 per cent of major oil marketers were not selling the product while a few independent oil marketers sold for between N110 and N120 per litre.
The queues by motorists for petrol continued on Saturday in some filling stations in Abuja and Nasarawa State.
All petrol stations visited in Abuja on Saturday sold at the regulated price, but most were not open for business as they claimed not to have products.
In Benue State, the NNPC Mega filling station along Oturkpo road where the queue for the product was over four kilometres long. It was the only fuel station selling at the official pump price of N87 per litre.
Meanwhile, black marketers have taken over the town as they sold at N200 and N250 per litre.
Investigations by our correspondent, who went round some parts of Nassarawa State, observed that it was only the NNPC mega station that sold at N87 per litre while others sold at N160 per.
In Bayelsa State, particularly Yenagoa, the state capital, a few filling stations that were selling the product on Saturday sold a litre of petrol between N130 and N150.
The NNPC mega filling stations in the Yenagoa metropolis were the only ones selling at the government regulated price of N87 but the queues were very long.
A litre of PMS was sold for N100 in many filling stations in Ogun State except NNPC stations and those of major marketers on Saturday.
In Osogbo, the Osun State capital and other parts of the state, petrol was sold at N110 per litre.
In Lagos, our correspondent learnt on Saturday that while the NNPC and major marketers sold at N87, black marketers sold five litres of petrol at N600.
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DEPLOY YOUR CAPACITY, TECHNICAL KNOWHOW TO REVITALISE SONGHAI FARMS, FUBARA TELLS TASK FORCE
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has said that diversifying the economy of the State has become inevitable because of the need to solve the problem of food shortages while also providing jobs for the teeming unemployed youths.
These, he said, are the reasons why great care has been taken to critically look at the prospects of revitalising the Songhai Integrated Farms, which is located in Bunu Tai, in Tai Local Government Area of the State.
Governor Fubara insisted that if the problem associated with food shortages is tackled with good intent and purpose, about 40 to 50 percent of current problems of economic hardship plaguing the country and its people would have been solved.
Governor Fubara made the assertion while inaugurating the Chairman, Mr Biedima Oliver, and members of the task force saddled with the responsibility of supervising the revitalization of Songhai Integrated Farms by its partners: Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Other members of the task force included, the Rivers State Commissioner for Agriculture, Engr Victor Kii; Commissioner for Finance, Barrister Emmanuel Frank-Fubara; Dr Ayebaesin Beredugo; and Mr Maurice Ogolo.
The Governor explained that it took him time to approve the constitution of the task force being inaugurated because of the ugly experience with the previous group that shown such interest.
Governor Fubara stated that a process was initiated and driven halfway into the handing over of Songhai Farms on concession to an interested partner who latter showed a total lack of the needed capacity to undertake such task.
He said, “As a matter of fact, if few of you could remember, we even conceded the place to an investor who came in after he had made his presentation, and we, believing that he has the capacity, we said okay to him, and we had already signed up.
“But something happened. He came back to tell us that he wanted us to give him a N5billion bank guarantee. We then asked him, why? If we have the N5billion, why do we need you to come and even revitalize Songhai Farms? We would have put that N5billion there ourselves. For that reason, we cancelled that arrangement.”
Governor Fubara said now that two separate companies have come together to indicate interest and given the assurance of having the needed capacity to drive the process, he is delighted to see them meeting that expectation.
Governor Fubara pointed to the expectation of the people who want to see the Songhai Farms back on stream on a sustainable basis.
That expectation, he insisted, is also what his administration wants to see actualised within its lifespan.
He noted, “We want to see food sufficiency, because we know when Songhai Farms comes on board, there will be food, which is one of the problems we are having in this country. If we are able to tackle the issue of food, 40 to 50 percent of our problem will be solved.”
Governor Fubara also stated that although he believes in the presentation made by the group and has taken their assurance to heart, but warned that he would not tolerate a repeat of what happened before.
The Governor said, “I hope your story will not be (end) halfway too. I hope you have the capacity and all the technical knowhow to handle it. It is not when we start now, after we had finished inaugurating the task force, you will come back to tell us that you need $2million. If we have $2million, we won’t need you. We will invest it by ourselves.”
Governor Fubara, however, praised the capacity of the Chairman of the task force, Biedima Oliver, saying that incidentally, he was one of the personnel that convinced the then administration to develop the Songhai Farms, and had worked with the Rivers State Sustainable Development Agency (RSSDA) to manage the project.
He said, “He knows and understands the workings of Songhai, and now that we are making you the chairman of the task force, we want to believe that you will make that place come back to life.
“I don’t have any doubt in your capacity. A few things you’ve touched, you turned them to gold. Please, bring it back to what we used to see in Songhai. Bring it back with the help of your committee.”
Governor Fubara assured that his administration will remain committed to providing all the necessary support that they may require to make their assignment a success.
He added, “So, I hereby inaugurate you. Your task is very simple: Do everything within your powers and with our support to make sure that Songhai becomes operational to the benefit, not just the people of Tai, but to the entire Rivers State and Nigeria as a whole”.
In his acceptance speech, the Chairman of the Task Force to Supervise the Revitalization of Songhai Farms with Vitalcrop Ventures Limited and Imagine Adama Limited, Mr. Biedima Oliver, expressed appreciation to Governor Fubara for the opportunity and confidence reposed in them to revive Songhai Farms.
Mr. Oliver assured that they will deliver the expected goal on Songhai Farms, and doing so on time and on target so that the good people of Rivers State can eventually be happy and also benefit from the huge investment.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has declared that all the policies and programmes of his administration are tailored towards the protection of interest of Rivers people, especially the youths.
This, he said, is borne out of the importance his administration attaches to youths’ development and empowerment as leaders of tomorrow.
Fubara, according to a statement by his Chief Press Secretary, Nelson Chukwudi, disclosed this when he received the youths of Emohua Local Government Area under the auspices of “Emohua Youths For SIM” on solidarity visit to Government House, Port Harcourt, last Friday.
He said that his administration has put in place modalities that will boost the livelihoods and well-being of Rivers citizens, which youths of Emohua will also benefit when they materialise.
The governor, who spoke through the Rivers State Head of Service, Dr. George Nwaeke, pointed out that the recently awarded Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku Road, the ongoing Emohua-Kalabari Road, reinstatement of illegally sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Area and the approval for electrification of the area, are part of deliberate measures to open up the area to make life conducive and more meaningful for the people.
According to him, “Everything about the governor is putting the interest of Rivers State first. He is looking at and taking action on those things that we need to do to restart the wheels of progress in Rivers State.
“There are many things the governor has planned and is already doing that will boost the life and welfare of every citizen of Rivers State, but most importantly the youths.
“Growing up, I learnt that Egbeda is one of the biggest communities in the whole of Ikwerre, and it’s predominantly an agrarian community. They have food in Egbeda, they have food in Ubimini, they have food in Omudiaga and other natural resources. The whole world is tilting to agriculture, and this is the way to go.
“The Elele-Umudioga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Omoku road, when completed, will open up the area for real development. Your food and everything you produce there will now have value, they will no longer be thrown away. In all these, you the youths are going to be the utmost beneficiaries.”
He added, “Same will be applicable to the Emohua-Kalabari Road which will also, trigger development in the area, and you will be the greatest beneficiaries. When the LGA is also electrified, you will be having 24 or 20 hours of electricity, and those things the youths can do with electricity, you can stay at home and create wealth for yourself and children.
“All the totality of what the governor is doing, when they are completed, or even as some are completed now, the youths are going to be utmost beneficiaries.”
While acknowledging that youths are the true leaders of tomorrow and any government that fails to carry them along in the scheme of things is doomed to fail, the governor assured them of his administration’s commitment to always address issues concerning youths and ensure that they are part of his government.
He commended the youths for toeing the path of truth by identifying with his administration, urging them to sustain the tempo and shun evil, as his government will ensure that the trend whereby politicians turn youths to beggars are over.
He said, “Youths are, indeed, the leaders of tomorrow. The time of youth is a very important time. It a time that your parents or whoever is your leader at that time have to make the greatest investment in you. And any Government that decides to only carry the elderly, chiefs aling and abandon the youths is bound to fail,” he asserted.
“But I am happy that Governor Fubara has concentrated his energy on everything that will benefit the society, especially the youths.
“And based on these, I want to thank you for recognising what is good and calling it good, for shunning what is evil, for saying the Governor is standing for you.
“Let me tell you, you are on the right direction. Let me tell you again, Rivers State is the bride of Nigeria. The whole Nigeria is looking at what will happen here. As they look here and see you standing on the path of truth, this is a very important step that you have taken to right all the wrongs of the past, to make Rivers State stand on the tripod of justice, peace and security. That is what we are going to gain through the governor, taking all the wise actions that he has already initiated.
“The projects the governor is embarking on are meant to prepare nets for the youths to fish and put food on their table, hence you should continue to follow him.
“The SIMplified Movement brought upon by the governor will ensure that Rivers youths stop the habit of going to bow down before politicians, pledging loyalty before they can eat.”
Earlier, spokesman for the Emohua Youths for SIM, Comrade Ovamale O. Ovamale, had said that the visit by youths from the 14 political wards in Emohua Local Government Area was to thank the governor for the award of the Elele-Omudiaga-Egbeda-Ubimini-Ikiri-Omoku road, the approval for electrification of the area and reinstatement of sacked workers of Emohua Local Government Council, of which the youths were mostly affected.
According to him, “Siminalayi Fubara of recent has given Emohua Local Government road that links Elele to Omoku, which comprises over four communities in the local government.”
“Emohua Local Government has also been in darkness for eight years. No community in the local government that has light. But, of recent, because of the passion and love the governor has for the people of Emohua, he has approved the electrification of the local government.
“Also, the illegal sack of Emohua Local Government workers, for which the youths were mostly affected and without the approval of the Local Government Service Commission, the governor, in his compassionate nature, has reinstated them, and that is why we said we must come and thank His Excellency”, he said.
Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, has assured that his administration will collaborate and continue to consult widely in delivering a liberated State experiencing enduring peace.
Fubara said, in doing so, he would not operate as a dictator but as a member of a team that has the best interest of the State at heart and determined to leave a lasting legacy that can be celebrated.
The governor spoke during the formal presentation of Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office to the Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, King Ateke Michael Tom, as first class tradition ruler, at Government House in Port Harcourt, yesterday.
Fubara stated that, during the Sixth State Executive Council meeting, N80.8billion was approved with 50 percent contract value paid already as the Government awarded the construction of the Elele-Egbeda-Omoku Road.
He said the project will be funded from the savings from Internally Generated Revenue (IGR) to underscore his administration’s prudence without also borrowing to complete the project.
“We are at a crossroad in our State where we all need to stand for what is right. It happens once in a life time. So, for now, be one of those people that will be in the course to liberate and free our dear State.
“And I know strongly that having the support of a peace-loving Amanyanabo of Okochiri Kingdom, having the support of the wonderful Council of Chiefs, having the support of the great people of Rivers State, we will bring peace in our State. We will do those things that are right to develop our State.
“We will continue to consult. We will not act as dictators. We will act as people who know that one day, we will leave, and when we leave, the way we have acted will speak for us. We will not force people to talk good about us. Our legacy will be a signature for how we led”, the governor said.
Fubara explained that he acted within the ambit of the law to upgrade the traditional stool upon which King Ateke Tom sits in recognition of his efforts in promoting peace in Okrika, and indeed, the State, and urged him to continue to do justice to everyone.
In his speech, Commissioner for Chieftaincy and Community Affairs, Hon Charles Amadi, congratulated King Ateke Tom for being formally presented with the Certificate of Recognition and Staff of Office as first class traditional ruler.
Also speaking, former Transport Minister, Chief Abiye Sekibo, thanked the governor for fulfilling his promise of upgrading the traditional stool of Okochiri Kingdom, and pledged the support of Kirike Se people to his administration.
