The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Wednesday sealed 12 petrol stations for selling the products above the government’s official price of N145 per litre.
Mr Jeremiah Mashat, Operational Controller DPR in Jalingo Field Office who lead the surveillance operation in Jalingo and Wukari towns said the operation was to ensure compliance by marketers.
Mashat said that some of the facilities were sealed due to poor provision of safety measures and product diversion. He said that those petrol stations that were sealed must pay their fines slammed upon them by the department before their facilities would be unsealed. The controller said that the operation was to ensure compliance in quality, quantity, safety of the facilities and proper operational licensing.
He said that four stations were sealed in Jalingo, the state capital, six sealed in Wukari town, and two got sealed in Gassol local government area.
He said that the operation would go round the state. He said that the DPR head office had addressed the problem of staff inadequacy, adding that more staff of the department would be deployed from other offices.
Mashat said that the Federal government was already paying for subsidy on Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) and regretted why marketers would be shortchanging the citizens.
He assured the public that the department would not leave any stone unturned to ensure that marketers do not shortchange the citizens in Taraba.
He however, said that the level of compliance by marketers was impressive, pointing out that some were doing the right thing before their arrival.
He explained that the violations were not only on pump price compliance but environmental safety of the facilities was also inspected and some were sanctioned for such negligence.
According to him, our areas of coverage includes quality, quantity, safety and licensing of petrol marketing facilities.
“We came out for the routine surveillance operation and were able to inspect about 24 petrol service stations and sealed up 12 out of the number for violation of DPR regulations.
” Some were fined for gross under dispensing of the products while others were fined due to non compliance to ensuring safety their facilities and diversion.
“Although, those who wished to pay their fines through Remittal, under the Treasury Single Account of the federal government, and after they might have corrected their inadequacies, will be unsealed for their sales.
” The federal government is already paying subsidy on PMS and marketers are not expected to sale above the official pump price.
“The DPR will ensure that the public is not shortchanged by these marketers and we have also addressed the challenge of staff inadequacy.
” We are expecting more staff who will be deployed from other offices to our office here in Jalingo to ensure effectiveness in our surveillance operations.
“Above all, I urge all the marketers to comply with all the to do the heedful to ensure adherence to petroleum downstream regulations’, He said
The reports that some of the filling stations sealed in Jalingo include, MRS-Bala Mohammad Oil Nigeria Limited for selling at N149. They were also sealed up for renovation with out DPR approval.
Also, Forte Oil Nigeria Ltd was also sealed for dispensing for N152 naira against the 145.
Our reporters also reported that Habu Nick Filling station Nukkai was sealed for diversion of commodity, and poor safety measures.
NNPC Jalingo Wukari road was sealed for dispensing N150 as well as diversion of the product.
Nigerian Tribune also reports that some of the violators paid their fines which ranged from one hundred thousand and above depending on the gravity of the offence caught with.
