National Assembly summons marketers for selling above N200 in Ondo  

The lawmaker representing Ondo West /East Federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon Joseph Akinlaja, on Sunday, summoned three members of the
Independent Petroleum Marketers of Nigeria (IPMAN) to appear before the Federal House of Representatives for selling fuel above the official price.

Akinlaja, the Chairman, House Committee of Petroleum Resources, invited the three marketers during a monitoring tour in Akure metropolis after discovering the marketers were selling fuel between N220 and N250.

The lawmaker who said the monitoring became necessary to check the exorbitant prices being charged by the marketers and also cushion the effect of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) scarcity in Nigeria.

He frowned over the attitudes of some IPMAN members who sell fuel at exorbitant rates saying consumers have been facing untold hardship over the fuel scarcity .

According to him, the NNPC retail and PPMC had assured that there would be abundant supply of the product for the yuletide celebration, saying “they said there would be no problem, saying they had 25 days supply in the stock and another 25 days was on the high sea. They said December will be fine.”

Akinlaja disclosed that member of the Committee were directed by the Speaker of the Lower Chamber, Yakubu Dogara, to suspend their recess to find a lasting solutions to the fuel scarcity in the country.

The team met a long queue at Bovas Petrol station which was selling N143 per litre to people, while few people at Samfunk, Lao, Damarofek Petrol stations sold N220 per litre to people though the official pump price displayed N145.

The Chairman condemned the action of the three petrol stations and ordered them to sell N145 to the customers, who filled up the stations due to the mandatory order by the special task force.

He noted that the monitoring exercise was to have firsthand knowledge of the situation, saying “when NNPC will be telling me there is fuel in abundance, I will ask, why the queue?”

“If Bovas can sell at N143 per litre and another filling station that is less than N500 metres away is selling higher, why should he sell at N220? What isbyour source? The source should be the same.”

The lawmaker frowned over the disparity among the major marketers that sell at the official price and the excuses put forward by the independent marketers.

“I am going to summon them, and by this medium, I am summoning the owner of Samfunk Petroleum and Damarofek to Abuja on Wednesday to come and explain the reasons behind selling fuel above pump price.

“And if they don’t come, the law will take its course. We are also asking Bayduck to report in Abuja on Wednesday at the Federal House of Representatives to come with documents as to source and why he was selling above official pump price.”

He said the sources where they got the petrol would also be summoned “to know if it’s true they are selling to people at prices higher than N133. 28k.This country must be sanitised, we are enemies of ourselves.

Akinlaja commended the owners of Bovas and Matrix Petrol stations for selling to people at official price, stressed that it is not compulsory for marketers to sell at high prices to fleece the masses.

Most of the customers also lauded the management of Bovas Oil and Gas for its consistency and humanitarian services to assist Nigerians during this hard times across the nation.

One of the customers, Mr Adewale Sodeinde, who spoke with Nigerian Online,  said the owner of Bovas Oil and Gas Managing Director, Mrs Victoria Samson “must be made the Minister of Petroleum. She will be the President of this country.

“Since this scarcity started, this petrol station has been selling for us for N143; and without queue. If she is the Minister of Petroleum, we will not have problem in this country.”