21st December, 2011
Over 1,000 residents of Isolo Local Council Development Area, Lagos, southwest Nigeria, have benefited from the council’s kerosene direct programme in which a litre was sold at the rate of N50.
The programme, P.M NEWS gathered, was an initiative of the Federal Government in conjunction with local governments to sell kerosene to the populace at a cheaper rate.
According to the LCDA boss, Alhaji Shamsudeen Abiodun Olaleye,”the kero direct programme was an initiative of the Federal Government through which Capital Oil and Gas was used as the medium to reach the public and it is always run in conjunction with some local governments.
“Fortunately, my local government was one of the pioneer centres for the programme. A full load of kerosene tanker was brought to the council and sold to the residents at the rate of N50 per litre as against N180-N190 that it is being sold at filling stations.
“When I was told about this development and I realised the ernomous impact it will have on the people, I quickly jumped at the opportunity to bring succour to the people of Isolo LCDA. We subsequently made arrangement in terms of logistics and security and at the end of the day went smoothly,” he said.
He said over 800 residents and 200 staff of the LCDA benefited from the exercise, adding that he was happy to have brought smiles to the faces of the people through the initiative.
“It was a stress free exercise because the people bought the product straight from the pump through a receipt. They were also on queue through out the exercise. We are appealing to the Federal Government to bring more of such programmes to the grassroots,” he said.
—Jamiu Yisa