The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), on Monday, dispensed Motor Premium Spirit (PMS) for free at MANI Petrol Station in Mowe area of Ogun State.
This development was received with wild jubilation by customers who had queued for several hours to buy the commodity.
Speaking with newsmen, the Head of Operations, DPR Field Office, Kasali Akinade, said the management of the station was warned for selling petrol at N220 as against the official price of N145 per litre.
He said the action was to serve as deterrent to other petrol station owners who are dispensing above pump price, saying the agency has zero tolerance to making life difficult for the people of the country by hoarding and under dispensing of the product.
“We got a tip off that they are hoarding and selling at N220 per litre . We came here and instructed him to start selling at the approved pump price and forgave him for what he did.
“But as soon as we left his station, he reverted back to the old price and even stopped selling. We had to turn back and make a scape goat out of him.
“This will serve as a deterrent to others because we treated him as a gentleman at first, but he decided to sabotage the efforts of the federal government,” he said.
He advised other marketers to quit short-changing the public, saying if they have any grievances, they should channel it to the appropriate quarters rather than taking it out on the masses.
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