From Femi Folaranmi, Yenagoa
Residents of Yenagoa, Bayelsa capital and its environs are groaning under the weight of fuel scarcity triggered by flooding in the state.
The fuel crisis has lingered despite the intervention of the state government to procure 410,000 litres of petrol to be distributed to oil marketers to be sold at N188 per litre as part of the measures to mitigate the effects of the fuel crisis on residents of the state.
The Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Dr. Ebieri Jones, who had received the barge that brought the fuel from Port Harcourt, Rivers State had commended Governor Douye Diri for being considerate in making petrol available to users.
Dr Jones reiterated that the PMS would be distributed to various petrol stations in the state and would be sold at the rate of #188 per litre to motorists, commuters and residents.
He said that this is part of the Government strategy to discourage hoarding of PMS and disallow people from turning the streets of Yenagoa into fuel black market spots.
The Chairman of the Oil marketers in Bayelsa State and CEO of Ereboter Oils, Mr. Erefamote Peters thanked Diri, for fulfilling his promise and they agreed to sell at the government approved price.
Investigations revealed that all the petrol stations that had the government procured petrol to them have refused to sell, while others sell at N250 per litre.
Checks at the Ereboter indicated that rather than the N188 per litre, the petrol station is selling at N250 per litre. This is also the situation at Emily, KOFABEN , and Kimiowei petrol stations.
Many residents of the state are therefore calling on the government to intervene to ensure its purpose for procuring the petrol is not defeated.
Meanwhile, the state government has held a meeting with three unions in the transport sector, namely, National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW), Road Transport Employers of Association of Nigeria (RTEAN) and Tricycle Owners Association of Nigeria (TOAN) over the recent hike in transport fare.
A resolution reached at the meeting stated that all transport costs within the state should revert back to their old prices before flooding hit the state.
It also resolved that transporters plying Yenagoa to Amassoma, Sagbama to Toru- Orua and Yenagoa to Otuoke revert back to their old routes because of the student populations in those areas.