Fuel Scarcity: DPR Seals Off 4 Fuel Stations in Ondo

Posted by African Examiner Featured, Latest Headlines, News Friday, January 5th, 2018

…As Kachickwu Denies Plot to Hike Pump Price

ONDO, NIGERIA (AFRICAN EXAMINER) – The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has sealed four erring filling stations in Owo Local Government area of Ondo State, South West Nigeria for hoarding PMS also called fuel and selling it above the N145/litre regulated pump price.

DPR controller in charge of the state and neighbouring Ekiti, Mr. Adewale Oseni, confirmed this to journalists Friday in Owo, explaining that the operation was carried out between late Thursday night and Friday morning.

Mr. Oseni also disclosed that as a punishment, DPR officials auctioned the product to motorists before the stations were sealed off.

“The operators of the stations still have to pay the imposed fine to deter them from selling above the pump price. We hope it will send some lessons to erring marketers.” the controller stated.

He promised that additional stock of PMS by the Federal Government FG through the major marketers would soon be delivered to the State.

Meanwhile, the Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Emmanuel Ibe Kachikwu, has denied reports that the lingering scarcity was a ploy by the FG to hike the present pump price of Ni45/litre.

The Director of Press in the Ministry in a statement Thursday night said Dr. Kachikwu’s clarified this in his submission to the joint committee of the National Assembly NASS on Petroleum Downstream.

“The Ministry of Petroleum Resources would like to categorically state that the Honourable Minister never mentioned nor insinuated the need or plans by the Federal Government to increase the current pump price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

“The Committee has been in rounds of deliberations in the past few days and these discussions are still ongoing. The final decisions and recommendations from the Committee would be passed on to the President and Commander-In-Chief for approval” the statement confirmed.

The Minister has however urged the public and other stakeholders in the oil and gas sector to disregard the price hike report.

What set tone for hike speculation might not be unconnected to Dr. Kachikwu’s revelation Thursday that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC had incurred a cumulative loss of N85.5 billion in importing petrol and selling at the current retail price of N145 per litre, since October last year – 2017.