Senator Adeola Faults FG’s Policy Banning Fuel Stations 20km to Borders

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The  Chairman,  Senate Committee on Finance and the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate for Ogun West senatorial district  in February 25 election, Solomon Adeola, has faulted the federal government’s policy banning operations of fuel stations at 20 kilometres to the international borders of Nigeria.

The senator said the policy had been causing untold hardship and economic loss to the residents of the communities in the areas concerned.

Adeola expressed his displeasure at the policy in a statement signed by the Director of Media and Communications of the Adeola Yayi 2023 Senatorial Campaign, Chief Kayode Odunaro, after  his thre-day ward-to-ward campaign tour of Ipokia Local Government Area.

The senator, who held separate meetings with all the Ipokia Traditional Council and stakeholders, regretted that the policy that was conceived to tackle the menace of smuggling of petroleum products have negatively impacted on the economic fortunes of the people at borders areas.

He stressed that in the absence of electricity and its epileptic nature around the borders, virtually all small and medium scale businesses have been grounded  with majority of  the law-abiding citizens suffering untold hardship buying and transporting the highly inflammable products for their business and living.

He said: “This policy as well as the closure of borders were intended to protect our national economy from the negative effects of cross border smuggling, but it has led to untold suffering for border communities, and with years of implementation of this policy and the incipient removal of fuel subsidy, it is time to consider the plight of the long suffering border communities and review these policies.

“As it is, the price of petrol now ranges from N250 to N350 making the business of its smuggling unattractive.”

Adeola, therefore, promised to liaise with the National Security Adviser to the President and other relevant authorities on the need for a review of the policy.

He suggested that the policy be reviewed and the banning  distance reduced to 10 or 5 km to the international borders across the country.

Adeola also promised to work towards a constitutional amendment to give constitutional roles to traditional rulers as they are closest to the people and should be in a position to directly address issues of development and security facing the country if given firm backing, adding that the incessant killing of the people of the border areas by men Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) would be a thing of the past once he is elected, as he would influence better operational and technological procedures  to combat smuggling and prevent loss of innocent lives.

The senator, who had earlier donated N5 million for the completion of the palace of Onipokia of Ipokia, Oba Yisa Olaniyan, announced an additional N10 million for the palace upgrade, adding that during his tour, he has donated five transformers to communities in Ipokia with a N1 million installation fund for each to address electricity demand.

Earlier, Oba Olaniyan recalled that in 2014, when he first met the senator in America, he has demonstrated his undying love for the development of Ogun West people.

He stressed that even before becoming a senator of the district, Adeola has done so much to show that when he eventually become one, he will be the best senator in the history of the district.