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PDP Using Kerosene As Campaign Bait In Impoverished Bayelsa Ahead Of Jonathan’s Campaign Feb 6

January 30, 2015

The kerosene is being sold at N50 per litre in an effort to lure the poor.

Several political support groups, including the Women for Change Initiative being sponsored by First Lady Patience Jonathan, on Thursday hijacked the Kero Correct Initiative of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) for partisan political gain.[slideshow]37449[/slideshow]

It was gathered that the move is aimed at saving face for President Jonathan, who has reportedly admitted to refusing to develop his home state and region.

The kerosene is being sold at N50 per litre in an effort to lure the poor.

Addressing thousands who gathered at the NNPC Mega Station, officials of the various groups took turns to campaign openly, saying that the kerosine was largesse from President Goodluck Jonathan and Petroleum Minister Diezani Allison-Madueke.

A special line was created for PDP leaders at various levels as well as Women for Change Initiative, which sent a retinue of officials to oversee the kerosene sale.

It was however bizarre to see policemen deployed to ensure order helping themselves to several jerry cans of the product, even as thousands of people remained under the scorching sun for hours without access to a drop.  Among those who complained about the suffering were some elderly women in their 70’s.

Mieye Josephine, who is 75, said. “The party officials are the ones helping themselves to the detriment of the masses, the kerosene is supposed to be for everyone to buy subject to the 25 litre quota per person but that has not been the case. 

“The privileged ones are the ones buying up the kerosene with a view to making profit from it.  Why will they be make jest of us, after the elections we go back to square one.”