Tony Edike
21 December 2011, Sweetcrude, ENUGU — AS part of efforts to alleviate poverty and reduce hardship being faced by the people of Enugu State on account of the escalating cost of kerosene, the state government has commenced the sale of the product at the official pump price of N50 per litre to members of the public.
State Commissioner for Human Development and Poverty Reduction, Mr. Godwin Ogenyi, who flagged off the exercise on behalf of Governor Sullivan Chime in Enugu, said the gesture was part of government’s arrangement to make the Christmas celebration very memorable and that it would benefit people in the 17 local government areas of the state.
He disclosed that a total of 216 metric tons of kerosene was procured by the government in collaboration with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for distribution to the people in the 260 wards in the state.
On the modality for the sale of the product, the commissioner explained that a tanker load of kerosene had been allocated to each local government area to ensure that everybody benefited from the kind gesture.
He, however, disclosed that only 10 litres of kerosene would be sold to each family at N50 per litre to make the product go round, adding that re-selling of the commodity, would not be tolerated by government.
Ogenyi further explained that government had put in place adequate arrangements to ensure accountability, security and orderliness during the sale of the product by constituting a committee for this purpose.
He also said that a commercial bank had been engaged to handle funds realized from the sale of the product.
Meanwhile, 10 trailer tankers loaded with kerosene moved to the various local government areas in the state for the sales shortly after the flag off.
Some Enugu residents who bought the product shortly after the flag off, confirmed that they actually bought 10 litres of the product at N50 per litre and appealed to government to sustain the distribution at regular periods.
