Anambra State Government affirms commitment towards tackling fuel scarcity
By Chinwe Onuigbo, Awka
Anambra State Government has affirmed its commitment to address the current scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (fuel), across the state to alleviate the sufferings of the people.
The Commissioner for Petroleum and Mineral Resources, Barrister Anthony Ifeanyi disclosed this during a meeting with Petroleum Dealers Association of Nigeria (PEDAN) and Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) at his office in Awka, the state capital.
The Commissioner decried the scarcity of premium motor spirit also known as fuel and rising cost of the product in the state which he said has brought untold hardship to the people of Anambra state and Nigerians.
Barrister Ifeanyi, who observed that most filling stations adjusted their meters below accuracy, condemned the criminal act and urged them to retrace their steps for the benefit of the users of the product.
He maintained that Anambra state Government will do everything possible to see that the product is sold at normal price and filling stations who are exploiting the users of the product by adjusting their meters are punished accordingly.
In his remarks, the Vice Chairman of Petroleum Dealers Association of Nigeria, Anambra state Chapter, Dr. Emmanuel Ekwue explained that the current scarcity of fuel and hike in the price of the commodity is because they find it difficult to get it from the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and have resorted to getting the product from individual deport who sell it to them at exorbitant prices.
The Independent Petroleum Marketing Association of Nigeria, (IPMAN) Anambra state chapter represented by Chief Larry Onuoha, complained that NNPC does not make the product readily available for them, a situation he said has compelled them to buying from their fellow marketers who make it readily available for them but only sell it to them at a high cost.
However, Voice of Nigeria gathered that most filling stations in Awka, the state capital, sell fuel between ₦400 – ₦500 per litre.
