The hawking of petrol along major highways and streets in Uyo, the Akwa Ibom capital has continued unabated despite the ban, a check by NewsNGR has shown.
Akwa Ibom State, a key oil producer but without any petrochemical facility is often at the mercy of Petroleum products marketers who are likely to resort to strikes almost always without any provocation.
Last month, economic activities came to a standstill in the state when petroleum marketers went on strike after a tanker-load of petrol was impounded by a joint task force of security personnel set up by the federal government to sanitize the sector.
According to checks, the tanker was impounded for an alleged diversion to a neighbouring country after it was incepted in Mbo local government area, a coastal community which shares a boundary with Cameroun.
The marketers had wanted the state government to intervene and get the tanker released as they shut down all filling stations and outlets in the state.
The strike was only called off after the state government made it clear that the tanker was impounded by a joint task force in which it has no powers to intervene it its operations .
A source who was privy to the meeting attended by the marketers and the state government officials held in the Governor’s office said the marketers resorted to the strike to cripple social and economic activities to arms twist the state government into giving into their demands.
“How do you want the state government to intercede on your behalf for an alleged diversion of petrol to an unknown destination, ” the source said.
Checks further showed during the period of the artificial scarcity, the roadside hawkers who capitalised on the disruption of supplies to hike the price of petrol were the only source of petrol.
Speaking while inaugurating the Petroleum Monitoring Committee recently, Governor Umo Eno said the committee has the responsibility to ensure the availability of Petroleum products in the state.
“Your job is direct and simple: You are to work with petroleum marketers to ensure that the loading and distribution of petroleum products in our State are done without causing pain and discomfort to our people.
That the pump price of fuel is in line with what obtains elsewhere; that petroleum products are not hoarded for price gouging purposes. You must ensure that any gas or petrol station that engages in such acts are penalized to the fullest extent of the law.
“We are here to serve our people and work to advance their growth and we remain dedicated to doing exactly that! I trust that you will execute the responsibilities associated with the Committee you have just been inaugurated into.
“As Government, we want to build a depot in our State, to cut down the issues related to loading and distribution of petroleum products. We are hopeful that we will get the necessary support from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation Limited to build this depot.”
But the committee chairman, Mr Godwin Ekpo, in statement three weeks after the committee was set up warned roadside hawkers to desist from illegal activities adding that, “they will face arrest and penalities,” a development that was greeted with controversy.
Ekpo is reported to have undertook a visit to some filling stations within Uyo metropolis days after issuing the statement but did not impound the products on display in any streets he visited
The hawkers are still seen with their products and beckoning on motorists for patronage along the streets.
At the NIgerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) mega station, the hawkers seems to have found a comfort zone to hawk their products without any fear of being apprehended as warned by the committee.
“In fact, it is not only along the NNPC mega station axis, they are everywhere,” a motorists said.
Contacted on phone, Ekpo said the enforcement of the committee’s has yet to commence. He did not give details and did not say when the arrest of the hawkers would begin.
For the roadside hawkers, it is business as usual with no indication that this group of vendors will ever be phased out in what seems to have become part of the permanent features of the petrol product marketing business in Akwa Ibom State.