The acting Comptroller General of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS), Adewale Adeniyi, has assured residents of border communities that efforts are ongoing to resume the supply of petroleum products in their areas soon.
Recall that former President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in 2019 banned the supply of petroleum products to border communities.
An order from the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) stopped filling stations within 20 km from the borders from receiving or dispensing fuel.
The directive was carried out under Operation Swift Response, which supervised the land border closure of the Buhari administration, purposely to stop the illegal bunkering of the then-subsidised fuel to neighbouring countries.
Since 2019, people living in border areas have been subjected to hardship as they travel 20 km to get fuel for their generators, especially in the face of erratic power supply.
With the removal of fuel subsidy by President Bola Tinubu, border communities have been crying for a review of the Buhari policy.
According to them, the ban on fuel supply in border communities is no longer justified because the government no longer subsidises petrol.
During his recent visit to Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, the acting Comptroller General of Customs said the policy might be reviewed in a matter of a few days.
Adebiyi said, “On fuel supply in border communities, we are actively monitoring the situation. If you remember, there was a resolution by the Senate about two or three weeks ago expressing the same concern. We also have a shared understanding about this.
“We have made our position known to the National Security Adviser and we are hoping that in the next few days, there might be a review of this policy.”
