By Labaran Tijani
Petroleum Products Monitoring Committee in Kogi state has pledged to prevent occassional fuel scarcity, particularly during festival and election periods in the state.
The Committee Chairman, Mr Otayitie Eminefo gave the assurance in Lokoja on Thursday during the inaugural meeting with the relevant stakeholders in the oil and gas sector.
The Kogi state Government had on November 1, inaugurated a 7-man committee to monitor the sale of petroleum products to avoid hoarding and scarcity during festivities and elections in the state.
Eminefo, who is also the Special Adviser to the governor on Energy and Power, urged the stakeholders to support the committee in order to actualise its mandate and terms of reference.
According to him, the committee is collaborating with NNPC, DPR and security agencies for proper monitoring of movement of petroleum products meant for Kogi state, from the point of loading to the sale points.
“We are ready to work cordially with petroluem marketers and tankers drivers associations and all that are involved in the value-chain, to help resolve any arising issue at anytime.
“We have interacted with relevant stakeholders to understand our modules operandi and mandates, and their own roles and respinsibilities as enshrined in the law.
“Adequate measures have been put in place to ensure smooth processes; sanctions will be applied to any infractions from anybody, in order to ease the burden of the people.
“The turnout of stakeholders today being an inaugural meeting was satisfactory, and it will be a regular meeting so that interactions can be frequent to reduce communication gaps,” Eminefo expressed.
He assured the people of the state that governor Yahaya Bello, would ensure that they get premium motor spirit and other products at the right time, with regular price and quantity.
“The business owners in Kogi should be rest assured that their businesses are protected because the government will continue to the create enabling environment,” he said.
In his remarks, Shaibu Audu, Assistant Commissioner of Police, Operations, Kogi Command, said that the police would synergise with other security agencies to ensure that products meant for Kogi get to the state.
“We will ensure that the issue of occasional and unwaranted fuel scarcity during elections and festivities especially December period become a thing of the past.
“We will makesure that fuel is available everywhere for everybody at the normal pump price at anytime, and ensure that everything is done in a peaceful manner,” Audu stressed.
He urged the chairman of tankers drivers associations to sensitise and caution their members to always obey the traffic rules, adding that everybody must obey the law of the land.
“We must work together to ensure thst peace and tranquility prevail in Kogi state. Where thereis no law, there will be no offence”, he said.
The Chairman, Petroleum Tankers Drivers Association (PTDA), Lokoja, Mr Mohammed Yusuf, commended the state government for the gesture, saying, the association was ready to support the committee to fulfill its mandate.
“We will cordinate our drivers and ensure that the products are made available and avoid issues of diversion and other anomalies. It is a good development,” Yusuf said.
Also, Adesina Michael, the Head of Operations, NSCDC, Kogi state Command, stressed the need for all the stakeholders to ensure total compliance regarding the rules and regulations guiding the movement of oil and gas.
“We will ensure that the people of Kogi do not suffer fuel scarcity unnecessarily, but make life easy for them”, Michael assured.
