DPR Slams N100,000 Penalty On NNPC Retail Outlet, Others

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has imposed a fine of about N100,000 on some petrol dispensing outlets in Ikorodu, Ibeju-Lekki, and Ketu, all in outskirts of Lagos State, for cheating, including an NNPC mega station.

During an oversight exercise to curb under dispensing and hoarding of products by marketers, the oil sector regulator shut down 14 stations for manipulating their pumps and overcharging buyers, among other offences.

The stations actually had N87 per litre displayed on their pumps as the selling price but the pumps were under dispensing petrol.

The affected stations include Mobil at Owode Bus stop, Ikorodu; So Super Limited (Sahara), Ogolonto, Ikorodu; General Oil Limited, Ketu; Walesaf, Owode-Idera Bus stop, Ikorodu, and HS Petroleum at Ketu.  At Mobil, 150 litres of water was also found in 30,000 litres of PMS in one of the tanks. Two pumps were sealed at MRS station at Alapere, Ikorodu Road and at the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation station, Irawo Bus stop, Ikorodu Road, three of its pumps were sealed for under dispensing.

At Ibeju-Lekki, Kaz Oil, Lakowe; Forte Oil, Gulf Road, Lakowe; Ona Ara Oil and Gas Station; Forte Oil, Molete; Wakass, Igando-Oloja; Forte Oil, Abule Folly Ibeju, and Forte Oil, Oribanwa, were sealed. The Forte Oil station at Oribanwa was sealed for hoarding 24,000 litres of PMS and refusing to open its pumps for testing by the DPR officials.

In a related development, the Katsina State office of the DPR has shut down six filling stations in the state for various offences, even as it warned marketers to refrain from hoarding petroleum products.

The DPR recently began a clamp down on marketers selling above the official price in a move aimed at ensuring compliance. Speaking to newsmen, the DPR’s operations controller for Katsina State field office, Muhammad Aminu Sani, said that the stations were sealed for selling above government approved prices and listed other offences of the sealed filling stations to include lack of valid operational licences. He said that the affected stations were located in different parts of the state, including Katsina and Funtua municipal, assuring that the operations would be sustained.