Soji Ajibola
Commuters and other end users of the products in the past few days had been subjected to an untold hardship in Oyo and neighboring states as they were forced to pay through their nose.
Most filling stations were put under lock and key while few that are dispensing fuel are selling between N180 and N200 per litre as against the official rate of N165 per litre.
Justifying an unofficial increase in an interview on an Ibadan based radio station, the Ibadan branch chairman of IPMAN Bukola Mutiu dropped the blame at the doorstep of the NNPC and other regulatory bodies.
He stated that for some time now marketers from the South west have not been able to buy directly from the NNPC, as they have to rely on the third party, thereby necessitating the increase that consumers and other end users are experiencing now.
According to him, our members are now buying directly from marketers that have Tank farms either in Lagos or Warri. These people are not selling at the official rate and by the time you add the cost of transportation to the loading cost, there is no way we can sell at the government official rate of N165 per litre.
The price varies from one location to the other depending on the loading station. While marketers in Ibadan and the neighbouring communities are selling at N180 per litre, the situation in Oke Ogun and other states in the region differ.
The increment in pump price should not be seen as an act of callousness on the part of our members. We are being compelled by the present situation. Even though few of our members are selling at N165 per litre. These are the categories of people that have direct access to the NNPC or have their own Tank farms,
I am assuring the people that if the situation improves, we will revert to the official price of N165 per litre.
