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The major Transport Unions in Ogun State have commended the government in the State for setting up Special Task Force to monitor the activities of filling stations over alleged sharp practices.
The Chairman of National Union of Road Transport Workers (NURTW) in Ogun State, Alhaji Mustapha Adewale, popularly known as Yaro on Friday berated the reaction of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) over the activities of the Task Force, saying such reaction is out of place and unbecoming of a noble association like IPMAN.
He said instead of criticising and threatening showdown on the issue, the association ought to have painstakingly and diligently conduct investigation to ascertain the veracity of allegation of sharp practices among its members in Ogun State, which necessitated the setting up of Task Force to curb the menace.
The NURTW boss noted that the ultimate rationale behind the initiative by the Ogun State Government was to protect the people from crude extortion in the face of current economic hardship in the land, adding that the association must support the good intention of the government to sanitize the system against sharp practices.
" I am also a petrol dealer, I have filling stations across the State and the government carried us along in the process that brought about the Task Force. The surresptious extortion of the people by many filling stations around the State is very disturbing and annoying.
"You can imagine a situation when motorists got seven litres of fuel after and paying for ten litres, in the case of commercial drivers, situation like this responsible for hike in transport fare, meaning that the people are the ones to bear the brunt of that anomaly.
"That is the reason the government of Prince Dapo Abiodun, being a sensitive and responsive government came up with Task Force to put stop to this infraction in order not to add more burden to the people, it is a very laudable and commendable initiative that requires the support of all", Yaro said.
In the same vein, the Secretary of Road Transport Employers Association of Nigeria(RTEAN) Comrade Tiwalade Akingbade, also known as Paulo Rossi has carpeted IPMAN over the development, arguing that there is no ground for their resistance to the activities of Task Force except they have ' skeleton in their cupboard '.
Akingbade explained that the setting up of the Task Force was part of the frantic efforts of Dapo Abiodun-led administration to ease the burden of hike in pump price of PMS in the effect that payment should commensurate with the volume of product and not the other way round.
He further said that the government in the State has done a lot in making life comfortable for the people and ameliorating the present economic predicament in the country by various interventions, including conversion of fossil fuel vehicles to CNG free of charge for many commercial drivers.
According to him", The original motive of the Task Force was to sanitise the system against some unscrupulous elements who are out to short change the people notwithstanding the harsh economy. How can one explain getting 25 litres of fuel instead of 30 litres; it is not acceptable and IPMAN should diligently approach the Task Force to confirm the number and names of its members that have been apprehended for this infraction instead of threatening fire and brimstone without recourse to reality and good intention of the government in the State".
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