Some filling stations in parts of Lagos on wednesday were shutdown by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) over the hoarding of petrol and also compelled others to sell the product to customers.
DPR officials discovered that over 13,000 litres were being hoarded at Capital Oil station on the Ago-Amuwo Odofin Road.
Due to lack of cooperation and refusal to accept responsibility for the offence by the station’s management, the DPR sealed the station and ordered the attendants out.
Similarly, the Sabola filling station in the same area was sealed by the DPR officials for selling at N100 per litre, N3 above the official price of N97.
The Rain Oil retail outlet located in Okota area, which was discovered to be selling from only two pumps, were ordered to open all its pumps to the admiration of frustrated motorists.
The King filling station at Ago Palace Way was also shut for failing to cooperate with the DPR officials, who already got wind that it had petrol in stock but was not selling to motorists.
In another development, the Feroselina Oil filling station located on Okota Road, was caught hoarding fuel.
The DPR team discovered above 8,500 litres of petrol in the station’s tank, while its gates were shut against customers.
In order not to worsen the artificial scarcity situation, however, the DPR officials ordered the station manager and attendants to commence immediate sale of the product.
The Conoil retail outlet located at Ago Palace Way was also caught hoarding over 19,500
The Lagos Zonal Head of Operations, DPR, Mr. Adekunle Soyebo, said the objective of the monitoring exercise was to check hoarding and dispensing of petrol above the official price of N97 per litre, while accusing the marketers of creating artificial scarcity of the product in the country.
He said, “A lot of filling stations are hoarding fuel and we have enough fuel at the depot that can go round the nation, but most of them are hoarding it and that is why we have come out to force them to sell.
“We are going to penalise them for their action. This exercise is a continuous one until the situation improves. There are punishments for defaulters. The DPR gave them licences to operate and we can revoke them.”
A resident of Ago Palace Way, who did not want her name mentioned, appealed to DPR to make phone numbers available for consumers to lodge complaints.
