Enugu workers give marketers ultimatum on fuel prices
From Lawrence Njoku, Enugu
A TWO-WEEK ultimatum has been given to major and independent petroleum products marketers in Enugu State to fully comply with the Federal High Court, Abuja order to revert to the pre-fuel tax rates by the state chapter of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC).
The marketers in the state have refused to go back to the approved prices as directed by Justice Roseline Ukeje. Instead, the major marketers sell premium motor spirit (PMS) or petrol for between N41 and N45 while the independent dealers sell the product for between N55 to N60 per litre.
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Enugu, Anambra and Ebonyi states had in compliance with the order of the court and to checkmate the activities of the marketers two weeks ago, closed down about 14 filling stations in the area.
No sooner were the stations sealed than their owners re-opened to continue their illicit trade.
Angered by the development and the failure of security operatives to handle the situation, the NLC on Monday summoned a meeting of the stakeholders in the industry where it handed down the warning.
Addressing the forum which included representatives of trade unions, major and independent marketers, Police, State Security Services (SSS) and the government, the NLC chairman, Chief Mike Ike Eneh, said the warning became necessary "as we will no longer fold our arms and watch our people die in penury and exploitation".
He insisted that unless the marketers go back to the court's approved prices and the DPR lives up to expectation, the people might be allowed to take the law into their hands.
Eneh said: "The whole thing bothers on avarice and greed. It is the height of illegality to sell these products outside the court order and for anyone to adjust his meter to cheat. Tell your members as an organised body that the people are discontented with your services and they should go back to the old prices before a self-help could come from the people".
He continued: "Our appeal is that we discovered that Enugu State had for a long time been suffering because our people seem to be cheats and we are praying that you should go back to the court order. There is a ruling that says petrol should be sold at N38 while kerosine and diesel should also be sold at the same rate.
Eneh lamented that in spite of the invitations sent to all the stakeholders to participate in the meeting, only a few responded, threatening, however, that the body was poised to force any marketer to revert to the approved price after the two weeks' ultimatum expires. Alternatively, such marketers could leave the state, he added.
The NLC leader also described the astronomical rise in the prices of materials at the Ogbete Market in Enugu and urged its chairman to enquire into the situation to enable the body take appropriate action.
Chairman of the Independent Marketers group, Mr. Chidi Nnuba, attributed the rise in prices to the under-supply of products to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the increase in the number of vehicles in the state.
He said that the Emene depot was commissioned before 1980, adding that now the number of vehicles in the state had multiplied while the capacity of the depot had not changed.
Also speaking, a representative of major marketers, Chief Omo Okachie, lamented the insincerity of government in solving the prices of petroleum products, adding that since last year when the law of deregulation was passed, prices of petroleum products were still being determined by the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPRA).
