The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) are angry with a court case instituted against two of the unions by Governor Ayo Fayose.
Even though the case was reportedly withdrawn last Friday, the national unions of the three bodies were enraged that government could take such an action after a peace meeting.
Marketers are angry that the governor took the action after the intervention of Petroleum Dealers Association of Nigeria (PEDAN).
A visit round the city on Tuesday revealed that many commuters were stranded at bus stops, while there were long queues of at few filling stations dispensing fuel.
Black marketers are already cashing in on the situation yo make brisk business. Transport fares have gone up.
“After that, more filling stations were destroyed along Pathfinder in Ado and in Igede with the owner of the Igede filling station charged to court and remanded alongside six of his kinsmen by government.
“What is happening in Ekiti now is beyond the local marketers; the national unions have ordered the suspension of fuel supply to the state.
“The implication is that any marketer who smuggles the commodity to Ekiti will be slammed with a six-month suspension and a fine of N1.2 million.”
Another marketer said: “We are being victimized by the Fayose government and this is very unfortunate happening in the week the late Gen. Adeyinka Adebayo will be buried.
“I only pity the innocent consumers, motorists, motorcyclists and their passengers who are now suffering for the sin they never committed.
“As we speak, I have three trucks in the depot but they cannot come to Ekiti now because of the order.
“Many of my colleagues are having their trucks stranded in places like Itawure and Akure because they cannot enter Ado Ekiti.
“Although government has withdrawn the case but a letter to that effect arrived the national headquarters of the unions late.
“We need a letter of apology from the state government because we are aggrieved about the court case which we believe was withdrawn because of Adebayo’s burial.
0 comments:
Post a Comment