14th July, 2014
Michael Udofia, the Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Calabar chapter, has expressed concern over what he called prolong scarcity of kerosene in Cross River.
He made the remark in an interview with NAN in Calabar on Sunday. He said the situation resulted from non-supply of the product to Calabar depot through the pipeline.
He added that Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi and states in the North-East who receive their petroleum products from the Calabar depot were also experiencing scarcity of kerosene.
The IPMAN boss said presently, the product was being supplied to the depot through the waterway, and that the situation had caused untold hardships to residents of the area.
“We have been experiencing this scarcity for 18 years and this is very worrisome,” he said.
He noted that the situation had pushed the price of kerosene up from the approved pump price of N50 per a litre to N150 per litre.
Udofia said many households in Cross River used kerosene for cooking because of the ban on felling of trees in the state.
“Access to firewood has become very difficult and almost all households are depending on kerosene for domestic use.
“So, except the pipelines are used, supply will always be scarce.”
The chairman said that the non-utilisation of the pipeline had resulted in its vandalism. He urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to quickly resume supply of the product to the depot to end the scarcity.
“NNPC should declare a state of emergency as far as kerosene distribution in this part of the country is concerned. We have been neglected for too long,” he added.