Petroleum marketers decry sealing of filling stations
February 8, 2016
Petroleum marketers in Imo State had decried sealing of filling stations in the state by Department of Petroleum Resources for allegedly selling petrol above official pump price of N86.50 per litre.
Chief Christopher Amadi, the Chairman of the Association of Imo State Petroleum Marketers/Dealers, said over 50 filling stations were sealed in the last one month.
Amadi, who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Owerri, the Imo State capital, said dealers were no longer supplied from the depots of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in Aba, Enugu and Port Harcourt.
NAN reports that some of the stations that re-opened for business still sold the product above the official pump price.
Amadi said the marketers had been compelled to source petroleum products from private tank farms in Port Harcourt, Calabar and Uyo.
According to him: “Owners of the petroleum tank farms do sell petrol at a relatively higher price.
“This clandestine business is the reason behind selling petrol above N86.50 per litre at the privately owned filling stations in parts of the state.”
Amadi maintained that until the shoddy deal was stopped, it would be difficult for marketers to sell at the approved pump price.
He said: “Our claim is verifiable.
“Security agencies and the media can investigate it and we are not happy operating under such a condition.”
When contacted, Ernest Chukwu, an Assistant Director (Operations), DPR Owerri office, said the department shut down the stations because they sold the product above N86.50 per litre.
Chukwu, who did not give the number of closed stations, said the mandate of the DPR was to enforce the sale of petrol at the official price.
He said: “DPR has nothing to do with the supply and sourcing of petrol.
“Our mandate is only to enforce the government-approved pump price.
“The ex-depot price has not changed from N76.50 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit.
“The marketers are expected to sell at N86.50 per litre no matter where and how much they buy it.”
The assistant director said every filling station shut down paid a fine of N100,000 before it was reopened.
“Marketers have the right to sell kerosene according to the market forces because the product is fully de-regulated,” he said.
Chukwu advised Imo State people to report any marketer who sold PMS above the official rate.
He said the office would soon make public the telephone lines through which it could be contacted on this.
February 8, 2016
Petroleum marketers in Imo State had decried sealing of filling stations in the state by Department of Petroleum Resources for allegedly selling petrol above official pump price of N86.50 per litre.
Chief Christopher Amadi, the Chairman of the Association of Imo State Petroleum Marketers/Dealers, said over 50 filling stations were sealed in the last one month.
Amadi, who spoke in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Sunday in Owerri, the Imo State capital, said dealers were no longer supplied from the depots of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation in Aba, Enugu and Port Harcourt.
NAN reports that some of the stations that re-opened for business still sold the product above the official pump price.
Amadi said the marketers had been compelled to source petroleum products from private tank farms in Port Harcourt, Calabar and Uyo.
According to him: “Owners of the petroleum tank farms do sell petrol at a relatively higher price.
“This clandestine business is the reason behind selling petrol above N86.50 per litre at the privately owned filling stations in parts of the state.”
Amadi maintained that until the shoddy deal was stopped, it would be difficult for marketers to sell at the approved pump price.
He said: “Our claim is verifiable.
“Security agencies and the media can investigate it and we are not happy operating under such a condition.”
When contacted, Ernest Chukwu, an Assistant Director (Operations), DPR Owerri office, said the department shut down the stations because they sold the product above N86.50 per litre.
Chukwu, who did not give the number of closed stations, said the mandate of the DPR was to enforce the sale of petrol at the official price.
He said: “DPR has nothing to do with the supply and sourcing of petrol.
“Our mandate is only to enforce the government-approved pump price.
“The ex-depot price has not changed from N76.50 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit.
“The marketers are expected to sell at N86.50 per litre no matter where and how much they buy it.”
The assistant director said every filling station shut down paid a fine of N100,000 before it was reopened.
“Marketers have the right to sell kerosene according to the market forces because the product is fully de-regulated,” he said.
Chukwu advised Imo State people to report any marketer who sold PMS above the official rate.
He said the office would soon make public the telephone lines through which it could be contacted on this.
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