Akwa Ibom: DPR seals 16 fuel stations for selling petrol at N170 per litre
The Department of Petroleum Resources has begun close monitoring of filling stations to ensure that they reverse their pumps to dispense petrol at N145 per litre; the development has propelled the agency to have sealed about 16 filling stations for selling petrol above N145 per litre pump price.
According to media reports some of the affected stations had paid the penalty and had signed undertaking with the department “to be of good behaviour.”
The agency had engaged private depot owners to ensure that they sell the product at ex-depot price to marketers.
The Operations Controller of DPR in Akwa Ibom, Mr. Tamunoiminabo Sundaye, has deplored the conduct of independent marketers of taking advantage of the recent “upset in the oil market’’ to exploit the public by selling petrol above regulated rate; whereby creating artificial scarcity of the product in the state.
“I will not really say that there is much scarcity in Akwa Ibom because there is no queue.
“What happened is that our brothers and sisters took opportunity of what happened in Lagos and Abuja, which, of course, is normal now.
“Our people and their normal way of doing things, started selling above government approved pump price and we have sealed a number of filling stations over it,’’ Sundaye said.
He appealed to marketers to do the business in accordance with rules and regulations of the petroleum sector, saying that the present administration would not tolerate sharp practises in the industry.
He said that any marketer caught would face the wrath of the law.
Sundaye warned marketers not to indulge in under-dispensing of the products in the state, saying otherwise, they would face the penalty.
Most filling stations in Akwa Ibom State are selling petrol between N160 per litre and N170 per litre.
