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Imo commuters groan as fuel station operators embark on indefinite strike

By Charles gugbuaja Owerri
25 February 2015   |   4:37 am
SOCIAL and economic activities were on Monday grounded in virtually all the 27 local councils of Imo State following the indefinite strike embarked upon by the operators of fuel stations in the state.   All the fuel stations visited by The Guardian in different parts of  state were shut.  Operators also barricaded the entrances, while commuters…

SOCIAL and economic activities were on Monday grounded in virtually all the 27 local councils of Imo State following the indefinite strike embarked upon by the operators of fuel stations in the state. 

 All the fuel stations visited by The Guardian in different parts of  state were shut. 

Operators also barricaded the entrances, while commuters were forced to trek long distances on   to their destinations. 

 Fares rose to N70 and N100 from the usual N40 and N50 .

  Black marketers thrived as they sold petrol and and kerosene at N150 and N200 per litre , respectively.

 According to sources, the fuel station operators  were protesting  the order officials of the Imo State Task Force and the Consumer Protection Agency, headed by Chief Kingsley Ufere, that they should  adjust their pump price to N87 per litre as directed by the Federal Government in the new pump price regime of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

  Though officials of the Independent Marketers were not on hand to talk to The Guardian, some workers at some of the fuel stations  fuel stations  complained against the order, stating that they could not sell at the new price because they  had bought  their stock at higher prices.

 The Guardian gathered that most fuel stations were   selling at N100 prior to the strike despite the directive to change from  N97to N87.

 The usual Monday gridlock in Owerri, capital city of Imo state was not there yesterday  due to the crisis.

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