The Imo State Government has intervened in the lingering fuel crisis rocking the state over the past two weeks.
The intervention came after the Independent Petroleum Marketers in Imo State shut down their stations and stopped dispensing fuel to the public in protest to an alleged intimidation and harassment of their members by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR).
In compliance with the Federal Government’s directive of ensuring that PMS is being sold at 86.50 Naira per litre, the DPR in Imo State embarked on a monitoring exercise to enforce this directive and forced most petrol stations to sell at 86.50 Naira per litre.
The action by the DPR angered the Independent Petroleum Marketers in the state as over 95 per cent of petroleum marketers shut down businesses to the public in what looked likes a protest.
They maintained that they do not buy the product at tank farms at government approved price and therefore, would not sell at 86.50 Naira per liter, or they will run at a loss.
Due to the hardship this has caused the people of the state, the State Governor and members of his cabinet scheduled a meeting with the petroleum marketers to resolve the lingering crisis.
After several minutes of dialogue, Governor Okorocha assured them that he would make necessary arrangement to ensure that issues raised would be addressed immediately and the product made available at the normal price.
If all promises by the State Government is kept, it is hoped that Independent Petroleum Marketers in the state would adhere strictly by selling at Federal Government approved price so as to alleviate the sufferings of Imo people who buy PMS at exorbitant rate.
