By; MOHAMMAD Ibrahium, Kaduna
As fuel scarcity persist within Kaduna Metropolis, Zonal Operations Controller of Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Kaduna Zone, Alhaji Tafida Isah has vowed to sanction any filling station owner found to be hoarding the product.
He explained that the organisation will not take it lightly with any person arrested hoarding fuel meant to be sold to general public.
The Zonal controller made the comment at the weekend when he led a task force team in collaboration with Security Agencies to raid filling stations hoarding fuel in Zaria, Kaduna State.
Isah said earring filling stations will be sanctioned and later force to sale fuel to public at government controlled price.
“If you are caught selling above pump price, you will be fined N100, 000 per pump head and if you have 10 pumps then you will pay N1 million for them.
“If you are caught hoarding, it will be sold to the public and sanctioned appropriately and other filling stations caught hoarding the products instead of selling them, will be made to sell to the public at controlled price, in order to alleviate the suffering of the public,” he said.
On the Filling station found wanting in Zaria he said “FARMSKAN filling station was sealed on (Wednesday) for selling above government controlled price, but we have discovered that they have broken our seal and sold 1,600 litres at N215, out of the 11,000 litres when it was sealed. We met 9,400 litres upon our follow up visit now.
“They will also be fined for under-dispensing and shall be made to pay a fine of N200 on each of the 1,600 litres sold while under seal.
He affirmed that the filling station will be suspended for three months and will pay fine of N200 for under-dispensing including every short change they made against the general public.
He ordered the filling station to be unsealed and, forced to adjust their pump to government controlled price which made the motorists very happy.
The Task force team comprised operatives from the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Department of State Security (SSS), the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
During the tour, many erring filling stations were discovered to have petrol hidden in their underground tanks and in trucks, while many others were selling above pump price of N205 and some N250 per liter.
The filling stations are MAMU Petrol Station at Gwargwaji, Fasada Petroleum and Farmskan all in Zaria.
