Check on filling stations: Embattled marketers jittery

…move to ‘perfect’ papers

Petroleum marketers in Ilorin who lack the necessary paperwork for the establishment of their petrol stations are reportedly jittery following the directive of the Kwara State House of Assembly for affected marketers to appear before its committee, National Pilot can report.

To this end, the affected marketers have been reportedly making frantic efforts to secure the relevant papers in order to avoid the House committee’s harmer.

According to some members of the committee, who spoke with this medium on the condition of anonymity, the marketers defiled the directive of the Town Planning Authority to float fuel stations despite lacking the relevance clearance.

During the Hon Fagbemi-led Ad-Hoc Committee oversight functions to affected petrol stations across the metropolis, Executive Secretary, Town Planning Development Authority, Mr Oladele Adeoti, had complained to the committee that despite lack of approval, some marketers went ahead to build and operate filling stations.

The Committee during its oversight function had summoned no fewer than seven petrol stations in Ilorin metropolis to appear before it with relevant documents on their approval for operation from concerned quarters in the state.

It also ordered the cessation of work on filling stations under construction at Oko-Erin, Kuntu, Abayawo, and Okelele area of the metropolis and instructed owners of M.M Ibrolak and Juniwad petrol station at Agbo-Oba and Ita-Merin respectively to appear before it House with relevant documents.

National Pilot has reported that independent marketers with political clout have reportedly put the committee under pressure to rescind its decision to sanction defaulters.

It was gathered that larger percentage of the filling stations in the state are owned by politicians.

“Since the directive, most of the affected members that lack the relevant papers have been using the opportunity to perfect their papers.

“Those that have appeared before the committee with their relevant papers are fewer compared to others.

Also, another member of the committee reiterated the committee’s resolve to sanction affected members, adding that it is cognizance of the criteria of the establishment of petrol stations.

“You know we publicly went out for this assignment not making our findings and recommendation public will not be accepted. So those that didn’t possess or go through the necessary papers will be made public”, the member added.