Following the ultimatum by the Director-General of the Department of State Security Services, Mr. Yusuf Magaji Bichi to Oil marketers to end the perennial scarcity of fuel in Nigeria, two prominent Civil Society groups, Youth And Media Network Organisation (YOMEN) and Peace And Anti-Corruption Advocacy (PACA) have thrown their weights behind the patriotic endeavors of the DSS to bring sanity to operators of the downstream petroleum sector in the country.
In a press release made available to journalists in Abuja, the Leaders of the two groups, Eld. Amb. Emenike Eme and Comrade James Okoronkwo, the duo commended the Leadership of the DSS for bringing relief to the suffering motorists and car owners who in recent times had spent endless hours in petroleum cues across the country.
The CSOs lamented that despite the fact that fuel is being fully subsidized by Government, the criminal tendencies and avarice of some petrol sector owners had made available products unavailable to the motoring public.
However, the groups lauded the DSS for their master-stroke intervention, leading to the disappearance of petrol cues in Abuja City Center; and urged the DSS to go wholly out to ensure that erring petroleum dealers in the suburbs are also apprehended and called to order as well, especially as the yuletide and electioneering campaigns are here with us.
It will be recalled, the State Security Service has issued a 48-hour ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and fuel marketers to resolve the ongoing petroleum scarcity in the country.
The secret police, which is also known as the Department of State Service (DSS), said it will “commence operations” around the country if the problem persists after two days.
According to Peter Afunanya, DSS spokesperson, “We would commence operations across the country if after 48 hours and there are still queues at various filling stations in the country.
“Because this challenge of fuel scarcity has assumed a dimension that is detrimental to the security of the country,” he said.
Meanwhile, a week after the ultimatum, the over twenty filling stations have started 24hrs operation and fuel is everywhere now across the country.
