01 May 2016, Makurdi – Members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union in Benue State have embarked on an indefinite strike over alleged multiple taxations.
This is as the Department of Petroleum Resources sealed up five filling stations for hoarding petroleum products and price fixing.
When our correspondent visited the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation depot at Apir, near Makurdi, over 20 tankers were parked along Makurdi-Otukpo road in protest
Chairman of the Union in Makurdi, Mr Joseph Gungur, had alleged that many of his members in Gboko were paying double tax.
It was learnt that with the ongoing strike action, the few filling stations selling fuel at the official pump price of N86.50 per litre may stop before Monday.
SUNDAY PUNCH gathered that extending the strike, which started on Friday, may lead to an increase in fuel pump price per litre to N180, with black marketers having a field day.
When contacted, the Executive Chairman of the Benue State Revenue Board, Mrs Mimi Adzape-Orubibi said the allegation by petroleum tanker drivers was baseless because, according to her, officials of the revenue board did not harass anybody in Gboko.
Adzape-Orubibi also called for the tanker drivers’ union to retract its statement on alleged double taxation or face court action, as she claimed to have discovered that it was Gboko Local Government Area that placed a mobile advert on taxation.
*Punch
