The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has challenged marketers that sell above official pump price to produce evidence of purchase of the products at high rates from depots.
Mr Ahmed Alatu, the Assistant Director Operations in DPR, threw the challenge on Wednesday while monitoring some petrol stations in Abuja.
“We ensure that whoever has products in his filling stations must sell at the government price.
“If anybody buys the product above the normal price at the depots, he should bring evidence of such claims.
“Once you don’t have evidence to show that you bought at above official price, we will not be able to act,’’ he said.
He said that anyone who claimed to have bought above the official price at the depots should be able to provide at least a receipt to prove the claims.
Alatu said that DPR was willing to receive such complaints with evidence, to enable it to act appropriately.
He said the DPR monitored every product that left the depot to its final destination, adding that it sanctioned depots that failed to comply with the policy.
“We have our staff all over the depots in Calabar, Lagos, everywhere; anyone selling above the pump price would be sanctioned.
“ Defaulters will pay N2 million as has been announced,’’ he said.
On the reason for the monitoring, he said it was to make sure that those who had the products were dispensing to customers.
“We are trying as much as possible to see that all the queues we are seeing disappear.
“And that is why we started from the Nassarawa axis, because if there is no situation in that axis, influx of cars to the city will reduce.
“If you compare the Nasarrawa axis with Abuja, you will see that the situation is better inside Abuja.
According to him, the situation on ground has improved compared to what was happening on Monday and Tuesday.
He expressed hope that in few days, things would normalise.
Filling stations visited include AA Rano, Total, AYM Shafa, all on Mararaba/Keffi road.
At AA Rano, Premium Motor Spirit was being dispensed to customers at official rate while at AYM Shafa dispensed kerosene above the official rate.
The AYM Shafa filling station was made to sell kerosene at the official rate N83 against the N120 it was dispensing.
Some motorists said that the situation was getting better.
Mr Ositadimma John-Okorie, a taxi driver, said that the queues had reduced but urged government to do everything possible to control the cause of the problem.
“As businessmen we are not finding it funny. Queuing for hours to get fuel is not easy.
“The time you will use to work, you spend it queuing for fuel, it’s sad,’’ he said.
Also, Mrs Esther Igwe, a teacher lamented the frequent queues at fuel stations, describing it as a bad development.
“I will keep praying for my country; we need serious leaders to help make things work,’’ she said.
