By Moses Patience Chat
Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum (NGF) and Governor of Kwara State, AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, has warned oil marketers to avoid inflicting unnecessary hardship on citizens through the creation of artificial fuel scarcity in the state.
The warning was issued in a statement by the Government House Spokesman, Rafiu Ajakaye, today in Ilorin, following reports of the random increase in the pump price of fuel and its artificial scarcity caused by marketers in the State.
“Fuel stations are to note that the Task Force will dip into their pits. Any filling station found to be hoarding fuel will have their Certificate of Occupancy (CofO) revoked, among other penalties,” the statement read in part.
The sudden increase in price and artificial scarcity of petrol in Nigeria comes after President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s declaration to put an end to fuel subsidy in the country.
In the statement, the Governor told fuel marketers to immediately discharge fuel to the public under the normal pricing system since the products they currently have were bought at subsidized prices.
He also stated that creating artificial scarcity amounts to intentional misrepresentation of the statement of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the question of fuel subsidy removal, and that people should not be made to undergo any form of hardship while trying to get fuel.
Governor AbdulRazaq urged marketers to desist from anything that qualifies as economic sabotage. He added that hoarding fuel that was bought at subsidized price and creating panic in the State is opportunistic and will not be condoned by the State Government.
The statement also disclosed that the Deputy Governor of Kwara State, Mr. Kayode Alabi, will be heading a task force to ensure that no fuel marketer causes undue hardship to the citizens in the State.