- The Nigerian federal government seals over 62 petrol stations across the country
- This is due to varying acts of malpractices, including selling the Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petrol, far above the N145
- Punishments were meted out to the defaulters depending on their offence
Through the Department of Petroleum Resources, the Nigerian federal government, has sealed over 62 petrol stations across the country, The Punch reports.
NAIJ.com gathered that the petrol stations were sealed due to varying acts of malpractices, including selling petrol, far above the N145 official pump price.
The Head of Operations, DPR, Kwara State, Oyedele Ibitayo, said the agency had sealed no fewer than 10 petrol stations in the state for varying acts of malpractices and infractions since the fuel crisis started.
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Ibitayo stated that their offences ranged from under-delivery, over-pricing and product diversion. He added that one of the stations sold petrol as high as N250 per litre.
He said punishments meted out to the defaulters varied depending on their offence.
The Kwara head of operations also noted that while some were shut down for between two and six months, otherfs were asked to pay a fine of N200,000 and sign an undertaking that they would not be involved in such sharp practices again.
The DPR in Edo state said it had sealed 23 petrol stations for indulging in sharp practices.
This is just as the state Commandant of the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), Makinde Ayinla, said that the agency was collaborating with the DPR to check malpractices among the oil marketers.
Three of the stations were sealed in Edo state on Friday for dispensing fuel above the official price.
Maynard Oriaifo, the state operations controller, DPR, said that officials of the agency had been going round the state to ensure all filling stations sold petrol at N145.
The Public Relations Officer of the NSCDC in Osun state Babawale Afolabi, said that so far, three filling stations had been sealed in the state.
He added that marketers involved in hoarding fuel had been forced to sell the product to motorists and other consumers at the official price of N145.
Likewise, in Katsina State, the Area Operations Manager, DPR, Yusuf Shehu, said the agency had sealed nine filing stations for alleged product diversion and selling fuel above N145.
He said that the seal order on the affected filling stations would not be lifted until they served all the penalties meted to them, which he did not disclose.
In Enugu State, the DPR said it had sealed three petrol stations and arrested seven operators for hoarding fuel and selling above the official pump price.
Unyime Akpan, the Head, Health, Safety and Environment Unit, DPR, said that the stations had been forced to selling fuel at the official price.
According to the agency’s Acting Controller, Sokoto Zone, Alhaji Nura Kamba, the DPR also sealed six filling stations in Sokoto and Kebbi states,
He said that while four were sealed in Sokoto State, two were in Kebbi State, adding that the errant stations had been asked to pay a fine of N100,000 per pump.
It was a similar scenario in Kaduna State, where the DPR sealed three filing stations for hoarding over 17,000 litres of petrol.
Alhaji Garba Salihu, the Comptroller, DPR, Bauchi State, said four filling stations had been sealed off in the state for selling petrol above the government-approved price of N145.
In Plateau State, the Operations Manager of the DPR, Mr. Jeremiah Mashat, said the agency had only sealed off one filling station, which had been fined N200,000 for selling fuel above N145.
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According to an earlier report by NAIJ.com, the group managing director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Maikanti Baru, vowed that Nigerians will not go into 2018 with the scarcity of petroleum products.
Baru, who disclosed this to State House correspondents in Abuja on Friday, December 29, reiterated NNPC’s position to ensure the pump price of fuel was maintained at the current official price of N145 per litre.
According to him, any marketer found hoarding fuel or selling above the official price will be punished.
Fuel scarcity: This is getting too much for us - Nigerians lament on NAIJ.com TV.
Source: Naija.ng
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Saturday, 30 December 2017