30th May, 2023
Osun government has warned that it will seal off any outlet discovered to be hoarding petrol to create artificial scarcity in the state, while the operators will be prosecuted for crime of economic sabotage.
The State Government said this on Tuesday morning in a statement by Mallam Olawale Rasheed, the spokesperson Governor Ademola Adeleke.
The statement was issued as fuel queues emerged across the state, just like in other parts of the country, after President Bola Tinubu announced removal of fuel subsidy in his inaugural speech on Monday.
However, Osun government said a Special Monitoring Team on fuel scarcity headed by his Chief of Staff, Kazeem Akinleye set up by Governor Ademola Adeleke is still effective and shall not condone any form of economic sabotage.
“As from today, 30th May 2023, the Committee shall begin special monitoring of all the filling stations across the state in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders.
“Any fuel station found guilty of hoarding fuel to create artificial scarcity shall be sealed off and operators prosecuted for crime of economic sabotage,” the government said in the statement.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Osun State Government has been drawn to the deliberate hoarding of PMS by the fuel dealers within the State as a result of the statement from the Inaugural Speech of the new President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on the removal of fuel subsidy, thereby causing unnecessary hardship for the people in the State.
“This deliberate action is not only inhumane but unpatriotic and will not be allowed by the government. To this end, the Special Monitoring Team on fuel scarcity set up by His Excellency, Governor Ademola Nurudeen Jackson Adeleke headed by the Chief of Staff, Hon Kazeem Akinleye is still effective and shall not condone any form of economic sabotage.
“As from today, 30th May 2023, the Committee shall begin special monitoring of all the filling stations across the state in collaboration with law enforcement agencies and other stakeholders.
“Any fuel station found guilty of hoarding fuel to create artificial scarcity shall be sealed off and operators prosecuted for crime of economic sabotage.”