17 February 2015, Lagos – The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Coalition of Grassroots Non-Governmental Organisation (CGN) have set up a 15-man team to monitor the sale of kerosene product.
The development followed continued diversion of kerosene by the independent marketers of petroleum products, which has made it impossible for consumers to access the product at the official pump price of N50 per litre.
In a statement at the weekend, the team leader, Mr. Waheed Adetunji, said the NNPC, through its retail network, in conjunction with CGN, set up the monitoring team to ensure that kerosene is sold at the regulated price of N50 per litre in the country.
He noted that the product is officially sold for N50 per litre but the common man in the street pays over N120 per litre to access the product at private retail outlets.
Concerned by this man-made hardship inflicted on the people by the independent marketers, he said the NNPC through its mega filling station decided to set up a monitoring team.
According to him, the team comprises of NNPC officials and some private volunteers CGN.
He said the team was to ensure that this racketeering was nipped in the board to make life more meaningful to the majority of Nigerians, who use Kerosene for domestic fuel
The 15 man team with representatives from the NNPC, PPMC and CGN has the mandate to ensure that the product does not go to the black market through diversion by middlemen.
“This it is doing by ensuring that no single individual buys more than 25 litres at a time. To checkmate the activities of the officials and dealers, the monitoring team will ensure that measurement of the volume of kerosene at each station is taken before and after sales each day the product is available. And where there are noticeable infractions or contraventions of the laid down procedures by the dealers, the CGN Representatives must give this report on daily basis,” he said.
He also stated that the team will curb the mid-night racketeering by ensuring that the product is not sold at night.
“Kerosene is used for cooking and other domestic purposes by majority of Nigerians, who cannot afford gas. But this product has been out of the reach of the common man for sometimes now, as a result of the activities of middlemen who divert and hoard the product for sale at high price above government regulated price of N50 per litre,” he said.
“Never again will Nigerians be subjected to hardship as a result of the inordinate ambition and get rich quick of a few Nigerians. We have a job to do to ensure Kerosene get to the common man regularly and at regulated price of N50 per litre,” he added.
He urged Nigerians to take advantage of this intervention to access kerosene at the regulated price and shun the black market that has been eating deep into their meagre resources.
– This Day
