Politics
REP. Babatunde Hunpe, member of the House of Representatives representing Badagry Constituency, has urged residents of the border communities to remain calm following the Federal Government’s suspension of petrol supply to their areas.
Hunpe made the plea in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Badagry, saying that the members of the House were on top of the matter.
NAN reports that the Federal Government had on Nov. 6 announced the suspension of diesel and petrol supply to filling stations within 20 kilometres radius of all Nigerian borders.
The Comptroller-General of the Nigeria Customs Service, Retired Col. Hameed Alli, issued the directive in a memo.
NAN also reports that on Nov. 11, the House of Representatives called on the Federal Government, through the Nigerian Customs Service, to lift the ban on sales of petrol within the country’s borders.
A member of the House, Mr Sada Soli, had moved a motion of urgent national importance at the plenary asking that the order by the NCS should be vacated.
According to him, the order by the customs boss contravened the provisions of the Customs and Excise Act.
Hunpe urged his constituents not to be confrontational with security operatives as a result of the directive.
He said that the members of the House of Representatives were working round the clock to ensure that the Federal Government rescind its directive.
“Sincerely, I understand the plights of my people in all the border communities as a result of closure of the borders and now suspension of petrol to them.
“Many people have lost their jobs, while some have their means of livelihood stopped. Since the closure of the borders, things are not the way it used to be.
“The question is that if our security operatives live up to expectations, it will not result to this suspension.
“At present, my people have lost many things to this closure; our friends, business partners and many travellers that ply our roads.
“I am from a border community and I got voted into the House of Representatives to seek their welfare, which I have promised with my strength.
“I feel your pains my people, I know what you are passing through with the border closure and now the pains of travelling down many kilometres to get petrol.
“Even, many of our women have lost their babies at birth due to no petrol supply to travel to the next hospital in the middle of the night in the border communities.
“Can we blame God because He created us in this place?’’ Hunpe asked.
Hunpe appealed to the Federal Government to see reasons with members from border communities and lift the ban on the suspension of petrol to those border communities.
He said that this would alleviate sufferings the residents were passing through and reduce the numbers of people that were out of jobs as a result of the border closure. (NAN)
– Nov. 20, 2019 @ 18:05 GMT |
Tags: Lawmaker calls for calm over suspension of petrol to border communities
