Musbau Babatunde
Youths in Ipokia Local Government area of Ogun State have implored President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to lift the ban on the sales of petroleum products within 20Kilometers of the international borders.
The Secretary, Ipokia Local Government Youth Forum, Adeyemi Sulaimon Olusegun,who made the appeal in a statement, lamented that only four petrol stations are allowed to sell petrol to a population of over 700,000 people in Ipokia.
They reasoned that federal government must lift the ban since subsidy on fuel had been removed with a view to easing the hardship on the residents of border communities.
They expressed concerns that many communities in the border area had been cut off from power supply for the past 15 years, making it impossible for businesses to survival due to inability of residents to buy fuel.
The group added: “We see it as a matter of urgency that we need to call your attention to the agonies and difficulties we have been experiencing from time immemorial of your predecessor former President, Muhammadu Buhari over 20KM suspension of PMS supply to border communities; which Idiroko border is not left out.
“Imperatively, as a beau monde of our world; we understand the goal of this policy. It was targeted at the smuggling of our subsidized PMS to our neighbouring countries and this was firmly achieved but the common man is still dealing with its reverberation.
“It would interest you to know that only four fueling stations were approved to operate in Ipokia Local government because of our continuous agitation and meeting with the necessary stakeholders, this is a LGA with a population of over 700,000 dwellers.
“Most inhabitants have to travel as far as 20 km to get fuel to run their respective businesses, farm machinery, clinics/hospitals and daily domestic uses. This had subjected us to undue hardship for almost five years, and still counting.
“Alas, this is a Local Government Area that had been cut off from the power supply for over 15 years as we solely depend on PMS to go about our daily lives and businesses.
“We lack all forms of social amenities without no hope in sight. Our economy had crumbled as most artisans and businessmen/women had deserted our communities to continue their daily lives elsewhere, as there’s no power supply and yet again, they couldn’t get fuel for their daily businesses; those that could get fuel are getting it at an exorbitant price in our localities, as it had turned to a very scarce commodity.
“We have put several efforts in place with the past administration to ease this sting of Federal Government policy on our people but it all fell on deaf ears. We sincerely do know that you’re a crackerjack economically-oriented leader that understands how all of this works.
“Ipokia Local Government Youth Forum and the good people of Ipokia Local Government solemnly do plead with you to use your good office to lift this suspension since subsidy which had been a cankerworm that had eaten deeply into our economy as a country had been relinquished.
“We think it’s no longer important that this policy should continue. It’s no longer news that the subsidy removal is leaving a tough time for Nigerians at the moment but our case is different because we’re experiencing twice the effect of the subsidy removal due to the 20KM PMS supply suspension axed on us.”
