FUEL CRISIS : AKHA TO LAISE WITH IPMAM, OTHER STAKEHOLDERS TO END SCARCITY

In a bid to avert impending breakdown of law and order in the State, the Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly has set in motion machinery to Laise with relevant stakeholders in the petroleum sector so as nip in the bud the ongoing scarcity of fuel.

Speaker Udeme Otong during Tuesday's plenary

The House coming under a matter of urgent public importance brought before it by the member representing Oron/Udung Uko State Constituency, Hon. Kenim Onofiok appealed to the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association to call off the strike and reopen their stations for the sake of the public.

Hon. Kenim Onofiok informed the House that there has been recurrent crisis over the years between members of IPMAM in the State and Joint Task Force officials therefore leading to scarcity of fuel even as she added that the association had issued a notice of withdrawal of service yesterday where they directed their members to close their stations against the public from today. 

Hon Chief Kenim Onofiok

"Petrol stations in Akwa Ibom are shut against the public and the price of Premium Motor Spirit... has skyrocketed to N2000 to N2500 in the few Petrol stations that are selling and the black market dealers have capitalized on this, resulting in high cost of transportation, closing down of business and inability of workers to get to their offices ".

Hon. Onofiok cited cites like Abuja  and Lagos where PMS was sold for N900 and N950 with states like Abia and Cross River where the product was sold for between N950 and N1, 100 and advocated that if the situation was allowed to persist beyond today, there may be serious crisis that may result in breakdown of law and order in the state.

The lawmaker called on the house to appeal to IPMAM to shelve the strike while also mandating the House Committee on petroleum matters to interface with all stakeholders to find a lasting solution to it.

Members who spoke including member representing Nsit Ubium, Rt. Hon. Otobong Bob and member representing Esit Eket/Ibeno, Hon. Udobia Friday Udobia expressed worry over the issue calling on the House to step in to salvage it.

The Speaker,  Elder Udeme Otong who presided over Plenary committed the matter to the Committee on petroleum Matters to laise with IPMAM and relevant stakeholders in the sector to being a solution to the crisis.