Senator Solomon Adeola, the chairman of Senate Committee on Finance and APC candidate for Ogun West Senatorial District has decried the untold hardship and economic loss occasioned by the Federal Government policy of banning filling stations’ operations 20 kilometers to the international borders of Nigeria.
According to a statement signed and made available to Gateway Times Nigeria by his Director, Publicity and Communications, Chief Kayode Odunaro, Senator Adeola who rounded up his three days ward to ward campaign tour of Ipokia Local Government Area over the weekend with a separate meetings with all the Ipokia Traditional Council and stakeholders regretted that the policy that was conceived to tackle the menace of smuggling of petroleum products have negatively impacted on the economic fortunes of the people at borders areas stressing that in the absence of electricity and its epileptic nature around the borders virtually all small and medium scale businesses have been grounded around the border town with majority of law abiding citizens suffering untold hardship buying and transporting the highly inflammable products for their business and living.
“This policy as well as the closure of borders were intended to protect our national economy from the negative effects of cross border smuggling. However, it has led to untold suffering for border communities and with years of implementation of this policy and the incipient removal of fuel subsidy, it is time to consider the plight of the long suffering border communities and review these policies. As it is the price of petrol now ranges from N250 to N350 making the business of its smuggling unattractive ” he stated.
Senator Adeola promised to liaise with the National Security Adviser to the President and other relevant authorities on the need for a review of the 20- kilometer distance for filling stations operations adding that at the very least the distance should be reduced to 10 or 5-kilometer to the international borders across the nation.
He promised to work towards a constitutional amendment to give constitutional roles to traditional rulers as they are closest to the people and should be in a position to directly address issues of development and security facing the nation if given firm backing adding that the incessant killing of the people of border areas by men Nigeria Customs Service would be a thing of the past once he is elected as he would influence better operational and technological procedures to combat smuggling and prevent loss of innocent lives.
The senator who had earlier donated N5 million for the completion of the palace of Onipokia of Ipokia Oba (Dr.) Yisa Olaniyan, announced an additional N10 million for the palace upgrading adding that during his tour, he has donated 5 transformers to communities in Ipokia with a N1 million installation fund fir each to address demand for electricity.
The senator restated his promise to empowered 5000 market men and women with financial grants to support their businesses, train and empower 1000 women and youths in skills acquisition adding that this will be done before the election of February 25th and spread evenly across the 5 LGA of the senatorial district.
Earlier, Oba Olaniyan recalled that as far back as 2014 when he first met the senator in USA, he has demonstrated his undying love for the development of Ogun West people stressing that even before becoming a senator of the district, he has done so much to show that when he eventually become one, he will be the best senator in the history of the district.
At the end of the meeting which had some of the kings personally narrating their knowledge of the senator as a performing legislator from his days in the Lagos State House of Assembly, he was unanimously adopted as the candidate alongside Asiwaju Bola Tinubu as President and Prince Dapo Abiodun for second term.
