Fuel Crisis: Imo Residents Groan Over Hike In Fuel Price

Residents of Owerri in Imo State have continued to groan over the hike in the price of premium motor spirit also known as petrol as most marketers within the region sell at prices higher than the Federal Government approved price of 87 naira per litre.

A visit to some filling stations, the meter read above 87 naira. Some 97 naira, 100 naira and 115 naira per litre of petrol, and this has not gone well with consumers as they appealed to Federal Government to intervene as soon as possible.

However, the Independent Petroleum Marketers, at a joint meeting between petroleum marketers in Imo and Abia State in the south-east, have disclosed that reasons why they sell at higher prices is due to non-availability of fuel at the government approved fuel depots in the South-East and South-South.

The Zonal Chairman of the petroleum marketers in Aba and Imo unit, Bobby Eberedick, explained that this has led them to buy from private fuel depots where they sell higher than the government approved prices.

They appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the DRP to compel the private fuel depots to sell at the Federal Government approved price so it can be made available to consumers at the Federal Government approved price of 87 naira per litre.

They also threatened that if the Federal Government through the NNPC and DRP does intervene in the issue of pricing at the private depots, they would not have any other option than to close down their stations nationwide.

Mr Eberedick also complained about the continuous harassment of Federal Government agencies on selling at prices higher than the government approved price.