Selling fuel above N97 is criminal – Maku

 The Minister of Information, Mr Labaran Maku, says is it is criminal for the petroleum marketers to sell the product above the official pump prize of N97. 

Maku said this while fielding questions at Osisioma Depot, near Aba, Abia, during the Good Governance tour of the state on Friday. 

“It is criminal for people to come and take fuel here at N97 when the government has already paid the balance between N97 and the market prize. 
“You come and get government subsidy in this depot and all other depots in the country, then they move out and sell fuel at N150 per litre, this is highly criminal. 

“That is problem with Nigeria and that is why the President Goodluck Jonathan is insisting that with the subsidy, some people are stealing from national patrimony in subsidy. 

“You can see now, you are confessing that people come to the depot and buy fuel at N97 which is what the president is saying, but unfortunately for us, our people are not honest,’’ he said. 

Maku said that it was criminal for the marketers to get the product at N97 only to sell above it. 

“People talk about corruption, but there is nothing more than corruption when a citizen will come and take fuel here at N97 and sell at N150, which means he is taking N97 from government. 

“Taking about N60 from government subsidy and then another N50 from the public and selling close to N200 per a litre, so he invest N97 and sell to the public at almost N200. 

He urged the media to report such marketers and follow up the investigations. 
“The Federal government is subsidising fuel, some Nigerians are selling at exorbitant prizes after taking subsidy from government and government cannot be in every filling station in Nigeria, it is not possible.’’ 

He urged Nigerian youths to stop the attitude of destroying government infrastructure, pointing out that such action was detrimental to development. 
“We are talking about job, we are talking about poverty, you can never defeat poverty unless you obey law and follow due process in your area. 

“I know that poverty can lead to crime, but crime re-enforces poverty where you have criminality already, unless you reduce the level of crime, economic activities can never take off. 

“Today, we in the North are crying because of the incidence of crime and terrorism, in some areas in the North, you cannot come to work; we have seen in the South that there is a lot of development.’’ 

The National President of NUJ, Malam Mohammed Garba, commended the efforts of the Federal and Abia Governments for ensuring adequate security for business to thrive in Abia. 

“It is my prayer and hope that the existing relationship between the duo will continue, so that the people will benefit from this type of project. 

Chief Emeka Ananaba, the Deputy Governor of Abia, who represented the governor, said that the government would continue to ensure adequate security in the state for development to thrive. (NAN) 

Source:Vanguard