The renewed operations of the Joint Task Force (JTF) deployed to
protect oil facilities in the Niger Delta against illegal refineries has
resulted to shortages of kerosene to residents in Bayelsa.
Kerosene
scarcity was sequel to a raid by the joint military force, Operation Delta Safe
to illegal refinery sites in Okaki, Rivers and Nembe in Bayelsa.
Checks
in Yenagoa at the weekend indicated that
the bulk of kerosene and diesel used by residents in Bayelsa were sourced from
the two sites which were destroyed by troops.
It
was further gathered that residents preferred kerosene sourced from the ‘local
refineries‘ because it is cheaper and lasts longer than the ones sourced from
the established distribution channels.
Mrs
Ebiere James, a housewife said that the prices of kerosene has increased
astronomically within the past few weeks and made the commodity unaffordable to
most households.
“The
scarcity of kerosene has brought untold hardship to us in Bayelsa, kerosene is
now costlier than gas, before now a 75 litres plastic bottle for the ‘Asari’
(illegally refined) sold for N100 but now it is N250.
“The
150 litres bottle which was sold for N200 now sells for N500, how then can we
cope when the filling stations in Bayelsa do not stock the ‘white’ kerosene
(legally refined) kerosene.
“The
last time the NNPC mega station sold kerosene to the public in Yenagoa was in
2016, now the high cost of Asari kerosene is making people to consider using
gas but the cost of cylinders and gas stoves is another obstacle,” James said.
Mr
Same Yabririfa, who sells kerosene said on Sunday that the destruction of the
bush refineries in Okaki and Nembe has adversely affected supply of locally
refined kerosene.
“These
two sites are the major sources of kerosene and diesel in Bayelsa because they
supply us in large quantities, even tankers come and load there and you know
that regular filling stations cannot stand their competition.
“I
tried sourcing the ‘white’ kerosene from a filling station and they told me
that a 20 litre jerry can is N7,500 which amounts to N375, if I buy at that
rate, how much will I sell?,” Yabririfa asked.
Speaking
on the renewed clampdown on oil thieves, spokesman of JTF in the Niger Delta, Major
Ibrahim Abdullahi, said that the joint force recently introduced the use of
heavy equipment to destroy the oil distillation sites.
He
said that the special equipment deployed by the troops crush the items used at
the camps and make it economically not feasible for them to restart operation.
“The
JTF has been carrying out massive metallic operations using swamp buggy against
illegal refineries all over the joint operation area for over one month now.
“This
new strategy was recently deployed by Commander of Operation Delta Safe, Rear
Admiral Suleiman Apochi, in our operations and it makes it difficult for them
to reassemble and resume operation after raids,” Abdullahi said.
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