DPR begins 24-hour surveillance on depots, filling stations
(Nigeria) The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, says
it has set up a 24-hour special task force to supervise and monitor petrol
sales at depots and stations.
It said that the task force would sanction depots and
stations selling above the recommended price.
Mrs Dorothy Bassey, Assistant Director, Public Affairs in
DPR, disclosed this in telephone interview in Lagos on Thursday.
Bassey said the special team was set up purposely for the
Yuletide with powers to take over the sale of the product from those selling
above the approved price.
She said that the agency had met with stakeholders to convey
government’s displeasure on illegal sale of petrol above the stipulated price
and the long queues at the filling stations.
The DPR warned that those involved in the criminal act would
henceforth lose their licence under the new steps being taken by agency to
enforce discipline.
``We have instituted 24-hour surveillance by special task
force which we are not going to disclose their identity because we don’t want
them to be harassed.
Bassey said that those selling petrol above the pump price
were doing so at night.
She said that any station caught would be forced to sell at
the official price “so that we don’t seal them to compound the scarcity”.
She said that the agency had some dedicated numbers on its
Website through which Nigerians could send their complaints.
Meanwhile, some marketers, who preferred anonymity, said that the ongoing petrol scarcity would persist as government had failed to
address issue of foreign exchange hindering fuel importation.
They said that marketers were willing to import fuel, but
scarcity of foreign exchange remained a serious challenge.
Many stations were still not selling petrol.
Some stations in Epe, Ibeju-Lekki and Ikorodu were selling
petrol between N100 and N 110 per litre.
Comments
Post a Comment