By Ayodele Ifasakin
Amid issues around availability of petroleum, residents of border communities between Nigeria and Benin Republic in Ogun State have lamented the cost of buying petroleum.
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| Residents Cry Out As Fuel Sells For N2000 Per Litre |
It was gathered that in the areas, petroleum has reached up to N2000 per litre.
This may not be unconnected to the fact that only four petroleum stations are said to be licensed by the federal government in the area, they are; Lafems Oil, Mobil Fuelling Station, Oppresso Oil and Gas; and Somolab Fuelling Station are authorised by the Nigerian government to sell petrol.
Some of the areas affected are; Idiroko, Ijofin, Agosasa, Ipokia, Iwoye Ketu, Tube, Oniro, Araromi ofo, Ilate, Ohunbo, Agada, Maahun and Tungeji, across Ipokia and Imeko Afon Local Government Areas.
The fueling stations licensed by the federal government sell fuel between N1,200 and N1,300 per litre, while black marketers sell N2,000 per litre, according to PUNCH.
Smugglers have also been blamed for the increase in the cost of petroleum in the area.
It would be recalled that in 2019, former President Muhammadu Buhari banned the supply of petroleum products to petrol stations within 20km of the country’s border due to diversion of fuel to Neighbour if countries.
Although the Buhari government later granted some filling station waivers to sell fuel in the border communities, the number is however insignificant to the population of the areas.
Also speaking, the Chairman of Ipokia Local Government Youth Forum, Imoleayo Mawutin, lamented that four petrol stations were grossly inadequate to serve a population of over 350,000 people.
He called on the government to lift the ban on the sale of petrol and allow other filling stations sell fuel.
Every week, we have a total supply of 180,000 litres of PMS in our local government but it is all going down the drain to the Benin Republic, PMS racketeers and black marketers.
“Our people now have to go as far as over 30km to Owode township, in another local government to buy PMS which customs will still have to harass and treat them badly while they confiscate the products meant for domestic consumption.
“These inhumane acts had forced most of our hospitals, Small and Medium Enterprises and farmers out of operations and the few left with no other option have to result to buying of PMS from black marketers and hoarders at an unreasonable price ranging from 1,500 to 2,000 Naira per litre”, Mawutin said.
