Date: 2018-02-02

The lingering fuel crisis took a turn for the worse in Kwara State yesterday as members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in the state enforced a close down of all their stations still dispensing fuel. The development, according to some members of the association, who spoke with our reporter, was borne out of the refusal by the regulatory agency to allow members of the association to sell at market price. A member of the association who spoke on the issue but asked not to be identified in the media, said:

"We have asked them to allow us to sell at market price but they won't, yet they are not giving us allocation as scheduled. We know that we can sell at N160 if they allow us. "We have even initiated meetings with the governor to help us convince DPR on the need to allow us and therefore reduce the current tension in the system but nothing has come out of such interactions."We told them what is obtainable in other states such as Oyo and Osun where motorists can drive in and buy at market price. That is what we want here in Kwara."

It was gathered that a task force had been constituted by the association to enforce the strike. Any member found flouting the decision of the association would be fined the sum of N500, 000 it was learnt.