19th December, 2012
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Kano State has threatened to shut filling stations found selling fuel above the approved pump price in the state and neighbouring Jigawa.
The DPR Operations Controller, Alhaji Sayyadi Abubakar, told newsmen in Kano on Tuesday that the warning would stem cases of deliberate tempering with dispensing pumps at filling stations.
“Most of these cases are not perpetrated by pump attendants alone, but with passive connivance of stations managers.
“This is very disappointing and shows that many companies no longer monitor the activities of their dealers, managers and pump attendants,” he said.
According to him, the DPR, recently discovered two illegal fuel dumps on the outskirts of Kano metropolis which were raided and dismantled with the assistance of operatives from the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC).
“We intend to make this exercise a continuous one until such illegal dumps are uprooted,’’ he said.
He said the department had commenced an “intensive” surveillance on distribution of petroleum products as part of efforts to sanitise operations of filling stations in Kano and Jigawa states.
“This is to ensure that long queues already becoming a constant feature at filling stations particularly during Xmas and New Year periods disappear.’’
The Controller said since the exercise began, 10 service stations had been sealed and appropriately sanctioned for selling the product above the government’s approved pump price of N97 per litre.
“Marketers are, therefore, warned to obey petroleum regulations to avoid closure and other sanctions’’, he said.