To stem the tide of scarcity of kerosene in their locality, an unusual collaboration has been consummated between Apapa local government in Lagos an a foremost petroleum product marketing company, NIPCO on direct supply of kerosene at affordable prices to residents of the local council.
At the inauguration of the programme in Apapa recently, the Managing Director of NIPCO Plc, Mr. Girish Sanadhya, stated that the kerosene initiative was a veritable way of giving back to the society part of what NIPCO had garnered from the people adding that his company was also dong it as part of its social responsibilities
“In the conscious effort of my management team, a delegation was dispatched to meet the Local Government Chairman, Hon. Ayodeji Joseph in June 2009 with a mandate to see areas of co-operation between the council and NIPCO PLC with a view to lending our support to him on how to further better the lots of the populace.
Acknowledging that kerosene was being sold to Apapa residents at aver high price, he disclosed that the initiative to sell kerosene directly came from NIPCO.
“At the meeting, several demands were put forward to the company, top of which includes beautification of the environment, infrastructural upgrade in the primary schools in the area, direct supply of kerosene to the residents to save them from the exuberant rates the products are being sold across the local government.
“Upon report of my management team after the visit, I immediately directed that two of the demands of the Chairman be addressed forthwith, which are: support our school initiative and the poverty alleviation programme via supply of kerosene at affordable rates.”
Responding, the Chairman of Apapa Local Government, Hon. Ayodeji said the aim of the venture was to make kerosene available and affordable to the people at all times thereby saving the precious hours, which were usually wasted during the search for cooking instrument.
“Apart from the above, another major benefit of this initiative is that it is part of our weapons towards the planned eradication of poverty in our local government.
“In addition, this initiative will complement the efforts of the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babatunde Raji Fashola, in ensuring that the incidence of tree felling for fire wood is drastically reduced. His Excellency has directed that we plant more trees to have fresh air. That is exactly what our Local Government will always encourage.”
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