The Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation run Mega Station in Osogbo, the capital of Osun state may have become a pain in the neck for citizens who desire succour from the cut-throat prices of fuel in major and independent marketers’ fuel stations in the state.
A check by NewMail revealed that sharp practices and extortion racket was hindering orderly dispensing of fuel for law-abiding citizens who queued for hours without end to get the product.
Our correspondent observed that most of those on the queue were usually sidelined for those on special queue lines created by the fuel racket run in conjunction with the operators of the Mega Station.
According to Debo Adekunle who had been on the queue since for over five hours on Wednesday, the situation at the station was chaotic because of the “extortion by the petrol attendants, the police and some boys who scout for those willing to pay to get easy access.
“It is sad that a Mega Station could be this disorganized. I got here by 5:00am and queued behind the four cars I met here. They started dispensing the fuel at around 8:30am. But instead of selling to those of us on the queue, I discovered they were selling for those who brought kegs and Okada riders who removed their tanks and found their way to the nozzle point at 200 per head,” he noted.
While the reign of confusion continued unabated, policemen attached to the Mega Station were busy ferrying fuel from the station to the other side of the road where they sell to ready buyers using some of the boys who serves as middlemen in the racket.
Some buyers were seen filling their tanks by the roadside where half of the Mega Station side of the dual carriage partially blocked by the illegal queue put in place to serve those who are ready to drop something.
A motorist who was furious about the whole scenario at the station described it as shocking and unbelievable.
“I never thought things could be this bad at a Mega Station. I came in from Akure to do something here in Osogbo and got up early and arrived here by 6:00am to be able to get fuel and leave town. But this is 4:15pm I am still on the queue and they will close by 5:00pm.
“They just refused to attend to those of us on the legitimate queue but were selling for those on the other queue at 500 naira per car or keg owners who can part with 200 naira. I have never seen this type of situation in any Mega Station before. It is shocking and unbelievable,“ says Goke Adebule.
Another regular customer of the station who spoke to NewMail on the basis of anonymity because he is a member of the armed forces observed that the whole confusion at the Mega Station was as a result of the organized racketeering by the police and operators of the station.
“It is not funny at all that I got here by 5:00 am this morning and queued but when they started selling, I discovered that the people being attended to are those with kegs and the illegal queue over there.
“I could have put my uniform on to have undue access to buy fuel but I chose not to. It is disturbing to watch policemen collecting kegs to buy the fuel for those outside so as to collect money. Are they supposed to dispense fuel into kegs in the first instance?
“This chaotic situation was deliberately put in place for the management of this station to benefit from proceeds of illegal racketeering going on here. It is only God that can safe us in this country,” he submitted.
As it is, it appears that the Osogbo Mega Station has of late earned a reputation for illegal racketeering and sharp practices that are against the rules setting up the NNPC Mega Stations.
In the early hours of Saturday, November 21, 2015, a staff of the Mega Station and three others were arrested within the station with 100 filled 25kg kegs of motor premium spirit [petrol] by men of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
According to the Wale Folarin, Public Relations Officer, Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Osun state, those arrested have been released on bail but will soon be arraigned in court.
When NewMail sought to clarify issues regarding the arrest, the manager and the supervisor who were not ready to disclose their names, dismissed the story of the arrest as a figment of the imagination of whoever comes up with it as no member of staff of the station was arrested.
On the allegations of extortion, the manager said there was nothing of such and that he was busy trying to provide a solution to the chaotic situation aggravated by the activities of policemen who were supposed to maintain order.
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