BENIN CITY – The Edo State Government has intensified collaboration with major oil marketers, civil society groups, and the Nigerian Upstream Petroleum Regulatory Commission (NUPRC), among other stakeholders to address the problem of adulteration and hike in the price of fuel in the state.
The Commissioner for Mining, Oil and Gas, Ethan Uzamere, led a team of Edo State Government officials to a closed-door meeting in Koko, Warri-North Local Government Area of Delta State, to review efforts at addressing the challenge.
He noted that the meeting followed increasing allegations of adulterated fuel and a hike in the price of PMS in Edo State.
According to him, “Following the allegations of adulterated fuel and hike in the price of petroleum products in Edo State, we decided to visit depots within the environs.
“The Edo State Government is partnering with Nigeria Security Civil Defense Corp (NSCDC) as they have the technology to checkmate adulterated fuel distributed to fuel stations across Edo.
“This depot in Koko also has a lab and the technology to check adulterated fuel and the quality of fuel being distributed, which most of the time causes some harm to our vehicles and other machines.”
“We are doing our best to see how the prices of this product will be stable for citizens in Edo State,” he added.
The Commissioner continued: “This stakeholders’ meeting with both independent and major oil marketers is to see how we can understand their supply chain in a bid to stabilize the prices of the product.
“I call on all citizens of Edo State to remain calm and never engage in panic buying of petroleum products as it will soon become available everywhere in the state.
“We have also discussed how to ensure more products get into Edo as we will work with other stakeholders to regulate the price for our people.”
The head, Edo NSCDC anti-vandalism unit, Apochi Benedict, said, “Our collaboration with the Edo State Government is aimed at fighting adulterated petroleum products, ensuring that any product brought into the state is pure and not adulterated.
“This meeting today is timely and very important as we all need to partner to check the excesses of some selfish persons. Anything adulterated is bad for consumption; be it food, petroleum products or any other goods or services. This reiterates the need to work together to stop adulteration of petroleum products.”
