Press Releases

Fashola Charges NNPC To Rethink Location Of Mega Stations

May 26, 2009 - Lagos State Governor, Mr Babatunde Fashola (SAN) on Tuesday advised the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to consider citing its mega filling stations at locations where a mass of the people can have access to it.

Governor Fashola who spoke when he received the Group General Manager of the NNPC in charge of Retail Division, Hajia Zainab AbdulRahaman on a courtesy call to his Lagos House, Alausa office added that places like major bus terminals or trailer terminal should be considered.

The Lagos State Governor also said the idea of a mega station is better served when it is located in an area where the regulated price benefit is felt and goes to the larger commuting public.

He added that in this way, if a mega station in Lagos is located near a major bus terminal, commuters do not have to pay more for fuel anytime there is a shortfall in supply of the commodity.

The Lagos State helmsman also said the present location of the mega station in Ikoyi has brought a lot of challenges in traffic as well as a depreciation of the road which was not originally designed for heavy duty vehicles which now ply it.

Governor Fashola said this is in addition to the fact that Ikoyi represents a prime property location in Lagos, saying a situation where the area Kingsway alone boasts of over eight filling stations is not healthy for the real estate value of the area.

He acknowledged that the setting up of mega stations is meant to provide fuel without profiteering to the people at very controlled prices.

He expressed the hope that the NNPC would contribute some of its earnings to give the road a facelift as it reaps the commercial benefit of the high number of vehicles plying the road.

The Governor acknowledged the new disposition of the NNPC and PPMC to a more pleasant price regime which would enable the people to take the fullest benefit of God’s natural gift to man.

Governor Fashola also charged the NNPC to take cognizance of the plight of the several residents of areas like Baruwa and Ipaja in Alimosho who have their source of drinking water polluted by crude product, saying they not only represent a viable market of patrons of NNPC but that the company’s Corporate Social Responsibility should start from there.

The Governor also charged the corporation to take away strong messages to sister organizations to stick to safety rules always and insist that trucks that do not meet safety standards and specifications should not be allowed to lift crude products.

Governor Fashola said collaboration between the state and the NNPC is doable, adding that the NNPC officials have come to the right place to do business, which is Lagos.

Speaking earlier, the Group General Manager Retail Division,, Hajia Zainab AbdulRahaman said she was in Lagos with her team to explore ways of partnering with the State towards making it a mega city worthy of note.

She added that the NNPC is poised to start the construction of standard stations nationwide as the next step towards ensuring that petroleum products are dispensed to members of the public at government approved prices.

She disclosed that as part of measures to solve some of the traffic bottleneck being experienced on Kingsway road, the NNPC intends to move the sale of diesel and kerosene from the present Ikoyi mega station location to another area within the Mega city.

Members of the State Executive Council present during the visit include the Commissioner for Physical Development and Urban Planning, Town Planner Francisco Abosede and that of Women Affairs and Poverty Alleviation, Mrs Joke Orelope Adefulire while the NNPC Group General Manager was also accompanied by top managers from the retail division.