The Nation Newspaper

Tag: hoarding

  • Fuel scarcity: Aregbesola warns against hoarding

    Fuel scarcity: Aregbesola warns against hoarding

    Osun State Governor Rauf Aregbesola has warned petroleum marketers to desist from hoarding fuel, which has created artificial scarcity in the state and other parts of the country.

    Aregbesola noted that sharp and unethical practices had worsened the plight of residents and commuters travelling for the Yuletide.

    The governor said such attitude negates the Omoluabi ethos the state exemplifies.

    In a statement by his Media Adviser, Mr. Solar Fasure, the governor said the fuel scarcity had affected the joy of the Yuletide season.

    The statement said: “It has come to the attention of Osun State government that the peace, joy and serenity of this Yuletide season is somewhat being marred by fuel shortage being experienced all over the country. This is most regrettable.

    “The state government sympathises with the people of the state whose movements have been restricted or have had to spend valuable time on queues at filling stations.

    “However, we have received assurances from the Federal Government and not less a person than President Muhammadu Buhari that the situation is being addressed, that more barges of fuel are being received and distributed at the moment and that the crisis will soon be over within the shortest possible time.

    “The state government, therefore, urges fuel marketers to desist from hoarding, profiteering and other sharp and unethical practices that could exacerbate the situation, worsen the plight of residents and detract from our Omoluabi status.”

    The government also enjoined the residents and fillings stations to conduct themselves peacefully in the sales of fuel, where the product is available.

    Aregbesola said: “There should not be more than a single lane of vehicles on the queue, to prevent traffic congestion and accidents. On no account must any road be blocked or made impassable as a result of fuel queues. Filling stations must observe all safety rules to prevent accidents and fire outbreaks.”

    “Law enforcement agencies, particularly the police, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) and the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), should properly take charge of the situation and do the needful to maintain law and order, prevent unruly and disorderly public conducts, protect lives, ensure public safety and free flow of traffic.”

  • Buhari directs end to petrol price hike, hoarding

    Buhari directs end to petrol price hike, hoarding

    President Muhammadu Buhari has directed government officials to end the arbitrary increase in price of petrol and hoarding of products across the country.

    Expressing sympathy with Nigerians for their suffering due to the lingering petrol scarcity, the President, in a  statement posted on his twitter handle, described the petrol scarcity as “regrettable”.

    He said going by the briefings he was getting, the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was on top of the situation.

    Buhari said: “The fuel scarcity being experienced nationwide is regrettable. I sympathise with all Nigerians on having to endure needless fuel queues.

    “I’m being regularly briefed, especially on the NNPC’s interventions to ensure that there is enough petrol available during this period & beyond.

    “I have the NNPC’s assurance that the situation will improve significantly over the next few days, as new shipments and supplies are distributed across the country.

    ”I have also directed the regulators to step up their surveillance and bring an end to hoarding and price inflation by marketers,

    ”Let me also assure that the relevant agencies will continue to provide updates on the situation. I thank you all for your patience and understanding.”

  • Akeredolu warns marketers against hoarding

    Akeredolu warns marketers against hoarding

    Ondo State Governor Oluwarotimi Akeredolu (SAN) yesterday urged owners of fuel stations to desist from hoarding petroleum products.

    The governor warned that fuel marketers caught hoarding petroleum products may have their licences revoked.

    Speaking after monitoring the fuel situation at filling stations in Akure, the state capital, the Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to the Governor on Special Duties and Strategy, Dr. Doyin Odebowale, said the present administration was determined not to give room for anyone to go through undue pains.

    He said: “The governor has asked us to move round and ensure that we lessen the suffering of the people because we have received several complaints about sharp practices among fuel marketers.

    “So many of these stations are hoarding fuel and we won’t stand for this. Anyone who dares to hoard fuel will lose his licence for that station.

    “After today, if we find any station hoarding fuel, we will dispense the fuel free of charge to the public.”

    Also, the Acting Operations Manager in the Ondo State office of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) Mr. Adewole Emmanuel said a severe penalty awaited any station caught hoarding fuel.

    He added: “When we noticed the scarcity on Monday, we mobilised our men for monitoring. We will apply sanctions to any station caught hoarding fuel.”

    Four filling stations were found with various levels of hoarded fuel: 17,000, 11,000, 3,000 and 3,500 litres.

    The erring filling stations were ordered to immediately sell the fuel at normal pump price to the public.

    A filling station, Funky Mass Nigeria Limited, on Isolo Street in Akure, was found to have about 11,000 litres of fuel in its reserve but was not dispensing the product to the public.

    It was immediately sealed by officials of the DPR.

  • Jang, wife, others indicted for hoarding govt vehicles

    Jang, wife, others indicted for hoarding govt vehicles

    A committee set up by Plateau state governor Simon Lalong to recover government vehicles from past government officials have indicted the immediate past governor Jonah Jang, his wife Ngo Talatu Jang and their aids of illegally hoarding government vehicles.

    The committee which was chaired by a former secretary to the state government Mr. Ezekiel Gomos said it has found out that the ex-governor and his wife are illegally in possession of 15 government vehicles.

    The committee made its finding known while submitting its report to the state government in government house Jos Tuesday.

    According to the committee, “the former governor and his wife were entitled to nine vehicles as approved by the state executive council, but government house records revealed that the former governor went away with 24 vehicles instead of 9.

    Mr. Gomos said, “The extra 15 vehicles contravene state’s policy put in place by the former Governor. And when contacted, the former governor refused to return the 15 vehicles in his possession.

    “We discovered that an atmosphere was created to give the impression that government vehicles were part of the entitlements of anyone working with the governor upon exit of office.

    “This wrong belief encourages all manners of persons including personal aids and domestic helps go away with such vehicles. This was accentuated by the rash of approvals given by the former governor to such aides immediately it was clear that a new administration was coming into office.

    Gomos further explained that the committee found that vehicles hoarded based on state council approval were 191 while vehicles hoarded based on the former governor’s executive fiat was 32 and vehicles taken away illegally without approval of the executive council were 24.

    Gomos however said the committee had recovered 30 vehicles while 28 former officers had refused to return their vehicles on the grounds that they were approved from the former governor, a decision he says contravenes the state council decision.

    The committee recommended that all appropriate court actions be taken by the state government to recover the vehicles.

    While receiving the committee report on behalf of Governor Lalong, Secretary to the state government, Rufus Bature said, “Government wish to commend the committee for a job well done, we also want to assure the committee that their efforts in producing the report will not be in vain.

    The SSG also assured people of the state that the APC led government will never allow those who looted government properties go scot free.

    However, ex-gov Jang was not available for response, he was said to have travelled out of the country. But his media aid, Chris Gyang simply described the committee report as a product of hatred and blackmail.

    He said, “It has become clear to us that the APC government have hatred for Senator Jang and are bent on doing anything to blackmail him. Senator Jang is out of the country at the moment; I will consult him and respond appropriately to the allegations in due course.”

  • Shun panic fuel buying, hoarding, NNPC urges

    Shun panic fuel buying, hoarding, NNPC urges

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) yesterday urged  members of the public to shun panic buying and stock-piling of petrol as there is enough stock of the product to keep the country wet for two months.

    In a statement endorsed by its Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ohi Alegbe, the Corporation put the current stock of premium motor spirit (petrol) in its depots across the country at 1.9 billion litres.

    It also appealed to tanker drivers who had stopped hauling fuel from depots in the coastal states to the Northern part of the country for fear of being caught in unfounded fears of post-election violence, to return to work as the Corporation is working closely with security agencies to provide maximum security for them.