DPR seals filling stations in Ogun for hoarding, under-dispensing

 The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Monday sealed  two filling stations in Abeokuta  for hoarding and under-dispensing of   petrol.
The Monitoring and Surveillance team led by Mr Akinade Kasali, Head of Operations, Abeokuta Field Office, sealed World Oil at  Ibara,  while a fuel pump at MAAN IPC, Ita-Eko, was also sealed.
When DPR officials and operatives  of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps  arrived  MAAN IPC, attendants were forced to dispense the product after it was discovered that 4,000 litres of petrol  was being hoarded in the tank.
Speaking with newsmen,  Kasali said   DPR embarked on the inspection following a tip-off that some filling stations were hoarding the product.
He expressed concern  that   filling stations were deliberately creating artificial fuel scarcity, urging  members of the public to report illegal dealings of filling station operators  to the DPR.
“We got a tip-off that some filling stations are hoarding fuel and this is against the government policy. Once the product is there you ought to be selling.
“Some of them just want to create artificial scarcity and that is not  good. This government has zero tolerance for such acts  of indiscipline.
“Those filling stations that have been sealed ran foul of the law because some of them are under-dispensing which means they are cheating the public.
” For every 10 litres that people buy, they are being short changed by  one litre. Some of them have fuel and they are not selling.
“ This is denying the public what the country is known to have worldwide.
“For those stations  that are sealed,  they will not be opened until they are fined and penalised, Once they fix their pump,  we will unseal them.
“I want to implore the public to give us information. We are not spirits; we can’t be everywhere at the same time. They should give us information about any filling stations selling above pump price.
“Come to our office at No. 11 Oba Karunwi Street, Ibara Housing Estate, Abeokuta and report. What we are doing is in the interest of the public,” he added.
Other filling stations visited were Ebenfem, Ita-Eko and Arolat at   Olomore junction, all  in Abeokuta metropolis.