DPR seals 24 filling stations in Ondo

About 24 filling stations in Akure, Ondo state capital, and Ondo town were on Thursday sealed off by the officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) for selling the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) above the official pump price.

The DPR team led by Stanley Okwekwe, Deputy Chief Officer, however, forced some filling stations in the two towns to sell the product at the official start pump price.

He noted that most of the filling stations in the state have been selling the product above the official pump price saying any erring fuel station would be sanctioned.

Also,  the DPR Operations Controller, Adewale Useni said the operation will be conducted on regular basis to ensure that all filling stations in the state sell the fuel at the official price.

It will be recalled that the lawmaker representing Ondo West /East Federal constituency at the House of Representatives, Hon Joseph Akinlaja, on Sunday, summoned three members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers of Nigeria (IPMAN) to appear before the Federal House of Representatives for selling fuel above the official price.

Akinlaja, the Chairman, House Committee of Petroleum Resources, invited the three marketers during a monitoring tour in Akure metropolis after discovering the marketers were selling fuel between N220 and N250.

The lawmaker who said the monitoring became necessary to check the exorbitant prices being charged by the marketers and also cushion the effect of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) scarcity in Nigeria.

He frowned over the attitudes of some IPMAN members who sell fuel at exorbitant rates saying consumers have been facing untold hardship over the fuel scarcity.

According to him, the NNPC retail and PPMC had assured that there would be an abundant supply of the product for the yuletide celebration, saying “they said there would be no problem, saying they had 25 days supply in the stock and another 25 days was on the high sea. They said December will be fine.”