DPR warns marketers against hoarding

THE Department of Petroleum Resources has warned oil marketers against any form of hoarding petroleum products especially the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, during the yuletide period.

The Head of Downstream Monitoring and Regulations, Ijeoma Onyeri, handed down the warning at the 1st Annual General Meeting of DPR, Abeokuta Field Office, that the warning became necessary in view of unscrupulous activities of some oil marketers who subject Nigerians into hardship by hoarding the product during the celebrations.

Onyeri, who represented the Acting Assistant Director, Retail Outlets Monitoring, Lagos Headquarter, Isah Ibrahim, said the Honourable Minister of State for Petroleum, Ibe Kaichukwu, had mandated the DPR to suspend any defaulting marketer, be it depot or a petrol filling station found engaging in hoarding or diversion of petroleum product, especially Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), for a period not less than six months with stiffer fine imposed as well.

She also added that the Department had no information of any intended price increase of any petroleum products, therefore urging motorists against panic buying.

“There is no information readily available to the Department for any intended price increase of petroleum product by the government, hence, there is no need for the public to panic and marketers should carry out their normal businesses without any fear,” she added.

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She further stated that the Department would soon launch a Minimum Industry Safety Training for Downstream Operations (MISTDO) so as to enable staff operating in the downstream sector get trained and acquainted with the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) in their place of work.

The Operations Controller, DPR, Abeokuta Field Office, Mrs Muinat Bello-Zagi, in her remark said the whole essence of the meeting was to offer stakeholders the opportunity to interact, share knowledge, ideas and experiences in other for the Department to continually improve on its activities.

“In carrying out our supervisory role of the Oil and Gas operations, we also ensure the safety of lives, assets and environmental protection. Worthy of note is the introduction of Minimum Industry Safety Training for Downstream Operations (MISTDO) by DPR as part of initiatives to improve the safety of lives and property in downstream operations of the Nigerian Petroleum Sector,” she added.