Post-flood: Transport fares reduce, as petrol price reverts to N188 in Yenagoa

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2 years ago

The high cost of transportation fare around Yenagoa metropolis, Bayelsa State, is gradually nose diving as the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) cashes from N1000 during the flood period to N188 per litre.

An investigation by Nigerian Tribune revealed that the sudden drop in transformation fare became effective two days after the Governor, Senator Douye Diri, imported 410,000 litres of PMS as part of efforts to ensure fuel availability in order to mitigate the suffering of flood victims.

The 410,000 litres of PMS which arrived in Yenagoa in a barge from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, were distributed to some selected filling stations after a meeting between the Petroleum Marketers Association and the Commissioner for Mineral Resources, Dr Ebieri Jones.

Giving details of the distribution, Dr Jones said that it is part of efforts by the government not to allow people to turn all the streets in Yenagoa and environs to fuel black market spots, and warned black market operators to stop their brisk business as it posed a lot of danger to lives and property.

“As for black marketers, we are on them. By tomorrow or the next, all of them must leave the roads. Between now and the weekend all those selling black market fuel should leave the roads because that is the directive of the governor personally.

“Those people should leave because it is a very volatile business and the duty of government is to protect lives and property. I have also called NNPC that we need a minimum of six trucks and between now and Monday, they will be here.

“Also, any of the independent marketers that didn’t sell at the government-approved price, the filling station will be sealed. But I know that they will sell at the approved price because we warmed them.”

However, the Bayelsa government has commenced the closure of internally displaced person camps (IDPs) in the state, after conducting a thanksgiving prayer session with the victims of the flood in Ox-Bow Lake, Swali and Igbogene.

While delivering a send-forth speech, Hon. Koku-Obiyai Ebiuwou, the commandant of the Ox-Bow lake IDP camp, said the victims of the 2022 flooding in the state are set to return to their homes.

She said about 12,000 persons were housed at the Ox-Bow Lake IDP camp, just as 96 deaths and about 1.2 million persons displaced across the state were recorded by the Bayelsa State Emergency Management Agency (BYSEMA).