The ongoing fuel scarcity is affecting filling stations in the Ile Ife and Modakeke towns in Osun State.
OSUN DEFENDER visited major filling stations in the two towns, and observed that the stations were completely abandoned, with some of their gates locked.
The filling stations visited by our correspondent around 9am on Monday include; Poplat Filling Station, Energy, PB & MC LTD, Adewab, Total Filling Station and many others.
Speaking with OSUN DEFENDER, a resident from Ile Ife, Munirudeen Yusuf said, “It’s a very serious situation here in Ile Ife. Filling stations are closed. Passengers are stranded and motorists have hiked the transport fares.”
READ: Passengers Stranded As Commercial Transporters Struggle To Get Fuel In Osogbo
Osun Defender recalls that the Osun State Government Taskforce on Petroleum Price Monitoring has threatened to sanction owners of petrol stations across the state who are found guilty of hoarding petroleum products to create artificial scarcity.
In a statement by the Chairman of the Taskforce and the Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Hon Kazeem Akinleye, the taskforce noted that its surveillance across the state revealed that most filling stations are hoarding petrol products, thereby worsening the fuel supply situation in the state.
The Chairman posited that surveillance activities were conducted in major towns and the state capital in the last three days and that it revealed deliberate hoarding of fuel to create artificial scarcity.
The Taskforce consequently issues strong warning to affected filling stations which are already listed as direct culprits to open up their tanks and dispense fuel to the members of the public.
The statement further tasked marketers to be public spirited in their pricing of Petroleum products, reminding them of the already harsh economic situation on the members of the public.
Failure to stop the fuel hoarding and take Humanitarian notice of prevailing economic situation in the country will lead to severe sanctions, the statement warned.
Sodiq Lawal is a passionate and dedicated journalist with a knack for uncovering captivating stories in the bustling metropolis of Osun State and Nigeria at large. He has a versatile reporting style, covering a wide range of topics, from politics , campus, and social issues to arts and culture, seeking impact in all facets of the society.
