IYC to shut down filling stations in Bayelsa

THE Ijaw Youth Council, Worldwide (IYC) has said operators of filling stations in the habit of hiking price of petroleum products, particularly Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) and Diesel at the detriment of the public should be prepared to have their filling stations shut down.

Though the federal government has said pump price remains N145 per litre, and that it did not increase price fuel, but in Yenagoa, the Bayelsa State capital, a litre of fuel still sells between N300 and N350.

The National Secretary General of the IYC, Comrade Alfred Kemepadou, gave the warning while briefing Journalists in Yenagoa.

Kemepadou, who lamented the unacceptable pain and burden on Ijaw people and non-indigent residing and doing business in the state, uncovered the existence of fuel cabal that has become comfortable with the statuesque and urged them to quit their game.

According to him, anything that has to do with the collective good of Ijaw people is bigger than any political office, stressing that the IYC would not fold its hands and allow operators of private filling stations continue to make abnormal gain while Ijaw people and the public has been impoverished.

The IYC National Secretary General, who visited some filling stations in the state, said DPR officials and the Petroleum Taskforce in the state are allegedly benefiting from the abnormal profit, if not they would have addressed the outrageous hike in pump price at N300 and N350 per litre.

He regretted that multiplier effect of the abnormal profit has affected the forces of demand and supply, as transportation, cost of goods and services have skyrocketed beyond the reach of the public, describing it as unacceptable.

Kemepadou alluded that the situation is biting harder in the riverine communities because food and household items are ferried to the Ijaw communities in the coastal areas, as float filling stations’ sells a
litre at N400 to speedboat drivers, who end up charging N4,000 for a distance on the waterways initially pegged at N2,000 in order to remain in business.

‘’Some operators with the milk of human kindness have brought down the price but others in synergy with fuel cabal that have continued to enjoy proceeds of abnormal gain, and have refused to review price, but we will halt the trend.

The IYC National Secretary General averred that the trend would be allowed to continue, and condemned it in its entirety.

To the end, Kemepadou, urged operators of private filling stations to correct the anomalies before the IYC train resumes the shutdown exercise, as it would not entertain explanation when it swings into action to free the Ijaw people and the non-indigent from the unnecessary burden heaped on them by shylock operators in the state.