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From TONY JOHN, Port Harcourt
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has said fuel scarcity is imminent in Rivers State, following a portion of the Aleto bridge that has caved in.
Executive Chairman of IPMAN, Rivers State, Joseph Obele, expressed the fear yesterday, when he visited the Aleto bridge to confirm the impassability of the road.
Obele said with the deplorable state of the road and bridge, he could not guarantee a regular supply petroleum products in Port Harcourt and its environs.
He disclosed that it would be dangerous for tanker drivers to ply the road with millions of naira worth of products on a single lane with the daily gridlock along the Eleme Petrochemical road.
Obele said: “Information reaching us from the state secretariat of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association, IPMAN, Rivers State branch, has it that the popular Aleto bridge close to Indorama along the Eleme East West Road, has collapsed.
“As it is now, we are at the scene. We have seen and confirmed that the critical part of the bridge has collapsed. And motorists are using just one lane, thus causing a serious traffic along this very way.
“And going forward, we want to say we cannot guarantee steady supply of petroleum refined product any more. The reason is because this very bridge is one of the most critical, active and busy roads in Nigeria.
“The road is linking to two NPAs, the FOT and FLT, the big fertilizer plant, Indorama, NOTORE Onne, Port Harcourt Refinery, PPMC and others.
“We will not allow our petroleum products and facilities – a truck of product worths N8 million to N9 million – we cannot take that risk with this kind of road”.
IPMAN, however, called on the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to release funds to the contractor handling the Eleme axis of East West Road, in order to save lives and property and improve the economy.
“So, we are calling on the Minister of Niger Delta Affairs, Senator Godswill Akpabio, to release funds to the contractor. We are aware that part of the funds have been released to the contractor, RCC.
“We are hereby calling that they should do the needful to start the project in earnest in order to save lives, and also in order to make movement and life meaningful to the people of Eleme, Rivers State and Nigeria”.
