C of Os Revocation : Petrol Station Owners Close Shops In Ekiti
Owners of fuel stations operating in Ekiti State yesterday close shops, following the revocation of certificate of occupancies (C of Os) of their business premises by the state government
The development, which has led to the hike in price of petroleum products, paralysed transport activities in Ado Ekiti, the state capital on Monday as vehicles were seen on major highways searching for fuel.
Operating under the auspices of Petrol Dealers Association of Nigeria
(PEDAN), they frowned at Governor Ayodele Fayose’s alleged tirades against their members on radio and television and the placement of ban on the construction of filling stations in residential areas , even by those that had already got the approval for such project.
The group said their strike action will continue until governor reverses his decision and tender apology to members for allegedly raining abuses on them.
The governor, while featuring on a programme aired on state radio and television, Meet Your Governor’s on Sunday had posited that petrol dealers were only after making huge profit at the expense of the safeguarding the lives and property of the people.
Addressing journalists yesterday in Ado Ekitii, PEDAN and NUPENG insisted that government cannot afford to be punishing and inciting public against his members while also owing them N80m, being supplies made on Diesel and petrol to government house and other government agencies .
In a statement jointly signed by PEDAN’s Chairman, Owoeye Ayodele , Secretary, Alhaji Suleman Akinbami and NUPENG Chairman, Com Jegede Olumide, they called for immediate reversal of all the new levies and taxes imposed on them by government.
The statement , which was read by Alhaji Akinbami said: “I have been in petrol business for 30 years and the first time Ekiti had fire incident was the case of January 8, 2017 at Strive Energy Petrol Station at Ijigbo in Ado Ekiti.
“As I speak with you, victims had been compensated contrary to what the governor said that each of them got as low as N10,000. About 18 of the victims have received compensations .
“so, we are not even ready to go on strike until when Mr Governor appeared on radio and television on Sunday where he incited the public against us and called us thieves. Is it a crime for us to invest in Ekiti. What have we done wrong to warrant these abuses?”, he asked.
Akinbami , who articulated further the positions of the body demanded that : “Apart from the foregoing, we want Governor Fayose withdraw case against our member and owner of Strive Energy Petrol Station
and we want the ban placed on the operation of the station be lifted.
“Government must ensure that the released armed robbers who attacked a petrol station at Ilawe Ekiti are apprehended and brought to justice . We totally reject inciting of public against our members by Governor
Fayose and we demand public apology for this”, he said.
Fayose, who said his government won’t back down on its policies said: “we are not owing them anything. My government didn’t owe them it was Dr Kayode Fayemi’s administration that owed them.
“Let me just ask, why did they wait till they were owed such huge amount of money? I have nothing to pay them because I am not owing them”, Fayose said.
The state government had in January ordered owners of filling stations in the state to re-certify their stations or risk such premises being shut down.
This follow a fire incident at a fuel station in Ijigbo area of Ado-Ekiti during which many houses and shops were burnt.
