DPR seals 12 petrol stations in Kaduna, Zaria

 

By AbdulRaheem Aodu
Kaduna

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) yesterday sealed four filling stations in Kaduna and Zaria for under-dispensing, selling above pump price and hoarding the product.
DPR had earlier sealed eight filling stations within Kaduna metropolis for similar offenses.
DPR Zonal operations controller, Malam Isa Tafida, who disclosed this to energy correspondents in Kaduna yesterday, said despite gaps in the supply and distribution of fuel across the country, government was making efforts to ensure that there is enough fuel to serve the people. Tafida said some marketers are trying to frustrate government’s effort by hoarding the fuel to create artificial scarcity, while others sell the product late in the night into jerry cans and other containers at exorbitant rates.
Malam Tafida said their teams went out on surveillance with enforcement team of civil defence and Directorate of State Security Services (DSS) to appraise the fuel situation in Kaduna and Zaria with respect to supply and distribution, adding that few filling stations were selling the products, while four of them are found to be hoarding the product and selling at exorbitant amounts at odd hours.
“During the Yuletide, DPR teams were deployed within the state and found that marketers were engaged in hoarding of products, deliberate manipulation of pumps to shortchange the public and diversion of products. Those erring marketers were forced to comply and to adjust their dispensing pumps to read accurately. The team also enforces and traced erring marketers that indulged in sharp practices by dispensing products in the night.
“During the Yuletide season, 12 stations were sealed, though later unsealed due to current scarcity being experienced. The situation was ameliorated by strictly controlling and monitoring the sales at government approved price of N145 per liter. These stations shall be sanctioned in accordance to the provision of petroleum regulation and be made to pay penalty charges to the federal government.
“Four stations were identified as hoarders of products; NNPC mega station, Fasada, Mamu and Farmskan Petroleum, these stations were cordoned off by the NSCDC yesterday (Wednesday), the management of DPR, PPMC, KRPC and NSCDC were there to ascertain the hoarded products, check pumps integrity and ensure that the product is dispensed to the public at government approved price of N145 per liter.
“Sanctions shall be meted on these marketers, their licenses suspended and be made to pay penalty for selling products above government approved pump price.”
Tafida, who urged members of public to send text messages to the DPR numbers in public domain explaining the station involved in malpractice, what malpractice, its location and empirical evidence for action, said there was a filling station in Zaria that was selling at N250 per liter, while still under dispensing selling six liters for the price of 10 liters, which means they were selling at N500 per litre.

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