From Uche Nnorom, Makurdi
Benue State government has threatened to clamp down hard on petrol stations that have refused to revert to the old pump price.
Governor Ortom made the threat yesterday through his Commissioner for Information Michael Inalegwu after an emergency State Executive Council meeting held at the Government House, Makurdi.
He said the State Task Force on Petroleum monitoring will come into effect, warning that if in the next one week, the petrol stations refuse to revert the approved pump price, they will be doing so at their own peril.
“If you go to Nasarawa State, they are selling for 200 and 194 naira, it is only in Benue, that it is been sold at 300 and 400 naira. All the petroleum marketers should review their pump price to the level that Benue people can access. We are facing naira scarcity and at the same time, fuel scarcity, where are we heading to? Wherever the Task Force visits and finds out that there is petrol on the ground and the filling station is not selling, the general public will be called upon to fill their tanks and pay the station according to the approved price. This is our own social responsibility in dealing with people who are doing business in our state.”
On the new cash policy, the State spokesman said the Governor has held several meetings with the Banks and CBN, but regretted that the cash crunch has persisted
‘We have told them to make money available to the people as a way of reducing their suffering”, Inalegwu said.
