In a bid to curtail dubious practices by petrol stations ahead of the yuletide, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has sanctioned seven petrol stations and four gas plants in its routine surveillance in Delta State.
The offences of the stations and gas plants, which were sealed on Friday in Warri and Ughelli, bordered on under-dispensing, operating without valid licenses and violating safety rules, among others.
Recall that the regulatory agency had, in November, sealed three filling stations and two gas plants in Asaba over similar offences.
Head, Retail Outlets Monitoring Unit of the DPR, Mr Chuks Onyenefa, led a team of the regulatory agency on the surveillance on behalf of the Warri Zonal Operations Controller, Mr Antai Asuquo.
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Asuquo, who addressed journalists after the exercise, listed the erring stations to include: Godstime Petroleum Nigeria Ltd, Fomas Marine and Engineering Service both in Warri.
Others were: Pemmazinor Ltd, Denero Global, Moonrose Petroleum Ltd, Eyebira Oil and Gas Limited and F-Circle Vissionex Ltd all in Ughelli.
Asuquo also listed the four gas plants to include: Fajo LPG, Johntel Gas, Airgas and one refilling gas outlet without identity all in Ughelli.
The operations controller said that the gas plants were sanctioned for operating without valid licenses and against safety rules.
“We sealed seven petrol stations and four gas plants for under-dispensing, operating without valid licenses,
violating DPR safety rules and obstructing our job by locking up their stations on hearing that we are on the field.
“The level of compliance is average, there is no reason for marketers to be cutting corners. Federal Government is doing so much to ensure the public get the petroleum product.
“It is sabotage and frustration of government policies for marketers to take advantage of the festive season and denied the consumers from getting values for their money.
“The essence of this routine surveillance is to discourage such things, do your business in a legitimate way. It is going to be a continuous exercise, anyone found wanting will be sanctioned accordingly,” he said.
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Asuquo frowned at the proliferation of illegal gas plants and advised the operators to seek the necessary approval and licenses from the DPR.
“It is so disheartening to see what they are doing in the gas business. Gas is volatile, some of the operators do not learn the trade.
“Most of the gas plants we sealed were built by quacks without putting professionalism into consideration.
“There was one we sealed that was built sharing the same premises with the residential building occupied by people and a church, it is a time bomb waiting to explode. If the accident happened, there will be so many casualties.
“They should stop operating illegally, if they must operate a gas business, they should come to DPR to seek the necessary approval and licenses to do the business,” he said.
A supervisor at the Pemmazinor Ltd who refused to disclosed her name said, “I do not know that the pump was under-dispensing, otherwise, I would have fixed it”
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