NSCDC officers check fuel hoarding, hawking in Cross River

The Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps has deployed its operatives to depots and fuel stations in Cross River to ensure that available stock of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) is sold to the public.

Samuel Fadeyi, the State Commandant, NSCDC, said this to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Thursday in Calabar.

It was earlier reported that the closure of some filling stations within the state and the return of street hawking of fuel occurred immediately after the president’s inaugural remark on Monday that subsidies had been removed.

This act of hoarding by petroleum product dealers in the state caused untold hardships on the people, as many were stranded in bus stops due to the unavailability of vehicles to convey them to their destinations.

Fadeyi, who declared that there was no room for hoarding and hawking of the PMS in the black markets, also appealed to the people not to engage in panic buying.

“I have sent my men out to depots and fuel stations to ensure that available stock is sold to the people; this creation of artificial scarcity is not allowed.

“Right from 2022, there was an announcement that subsidy removal would commence in June 2023; the Federal Government had said by the end of June that there would be full deregulation of the product.

“Also, I am sure that the government is working on palliatives to absorb the shock that subsidy removal will bring to a lot of people, so I urge Nigerians to be patient as the issues are resolved,” he said.

Fadeyi also said that he had mandated his men to arrest anyone engaging in the black marketing of petroleum products.

The commandant urged the public to report the activities of hawkers to the corps.