Group seeks end to high petrol price in Taraba

THE Federal and Taraba state governments have been urged to call marketers of petroleum products in Taraba State to order following their continued hike in price of petroleum products contrary to official government price.

The Co-ordinator of Taraba Volunteer Group, Joseph Terence Vesinadzem who made the call on behalf of the group, lamented that the price of fuel in the state has continued to be on the increase compared to other parts of the country.

He urged the Federal and state government agencies saddled with the task of ensuring compliance by fuel marketers to intervene before the hike in fuel prices cripples business activities in the state.

In a press statement made available to The Guardian, Vesinadzem said: “When you travel out of Taraba to other states of the federation, you will observe that the pump price of petroleum are the same as approved by the Federal Government.

Go to Benue, Kano, Gombe, Bauchi and even Abuja, the pump price of fuel in those states are as approved by the Federal Government. But as soon as you enter Taraba and Adamawa states, the prices are higher.

It is unfortunate that the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in both Adamawa and Taraba states is not doing its job.”
The co-ordinator, who could not fathom why a litre of petrol in both Taraba and Adamawa states should, sometimes, sell as high as N120, said the “situation has forced a lot of vehicles out of the road.”

He also expressed sadness that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega stations in the state were not meeting the demands of the people saying: “It is very unfortunate that one hardly gets fuel in the NNPC mega stations here.

“ Elsewhere, you will discover that NNPC filling stations are always functioning.

“But here, the reverse is the case. Is it that those in the depot don’t assign fuel to our state or what is the problem? Are we no longer part of this country?”

The situation, if not urgently addressed Vesinadzem believed, would “discourage a lot of our Muslim brothers from travelling out of the state to celebrate the Sallah.”

When reached for comments, some of the marketers identified the long distance and the amount they are always compelled to pay at various check-points along the highway as major reasons why the prices of petroleum products in the state have refused to fall.

A DPR official, who spoke on telephone, said relevant measures have been put in place to track down filing stations still selling above the approved pump price.