Yenagoa — Tension was high yesterday in the Bayelsa State capital over an order issued by the State Petroleum Task Force warning marketers of petroleum products to comply with the N65 pump price directed by the Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) or get their filling stations closed down.

Already, the state LEADERSHIP of the Action Congress (AC) through the Secretary, Comrade Miriki Ebikibina, had called on the Governor, Chief Timipre Sylva, to intervene in the face-off between the marketers and the Task Force over issue of price.

The Task Force, LEADERSHIP gathered yesterday, was provoked into action by the rising cry of motorists in the state capital about the abuse of pump prices by the marketers situation, which led to many skirmishes at petrol stations as many motorists resisted the exorbitant prices that waved between N80 and N100 before the last Christmas festivities when it hit the rooftops as marketers sold it for N120 and N150 because of artificial scarcity.

As at the time of filing this report, the prices at most filing stations ranged between N85 N90 per litre.

The situation has, however, led transporters and commercial motorcyclists popularly known as Okada to have a field day with arbitrary hike in fares. The usual excuse is the astronomical increase in transport fares within the Yenagoa metropolis as well as between it and the local government areas. The distances which previously cost about N50, N70, N80 and N100 now cost as much as N100, N150, N180 and N250, respectively within the state capital.

Speaking with LEADERSHIP in his office yesterday, the state chairman of the Task Force Major Kuromieyei Amietekena (rtd), said he resolved to swing into action early Tuesday to ensure all filing stations in Bayelsa sell petrol at N65 per litre.

Amietekena threatened to deal with any marketer who attempts to undermine the new price regime, stressing that failure to comply would result in sealing of such filling stations. According to him, the Task Force could no longer condone the shylock attitude of marketers who paid deaf ears to the PPPRA's order, adding that high cost of fuel had led to arbitrary hike in fares in the state.

Meanwhile, the leadership of the AC in a Statement issued yesterday by the State Secretary of the Party, Comrade Miriki Ebikibina, expressed concern over the rising price of fuel at various filling stations in the state capital, warning that if the Governor does not intervene to checkmate shylock marketers, the people might take laws into their hands.

Miriki said,"the party decried the continued level of exploitation by petroleum product marketers in the state. Where petroleum is selling between N95 and N100 per litre, it is causing untold hardship on the economy of the state and increase the poverty level of the people. We have to caution the Task Force, whose officers have been accused of conniving with the marketers, to rise up to its responsibilities and check the excesses of the marketers."

"If not, we call for the dissolution of the Task Force and ask government to institute a more pragmatic mechanism for compliance with the approved pump price. The governor should emulate the Edo State Governor and personally supervise the inspection of filling stations and close down defaulting ones, thereby enforcing compliance."