Filling stations selling above regulations pump price, shot down in Gombe

At least 17 filling stations in Gombe and Bauchi state, have been closed-down by officers of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) over sharp practices while dispensing petroleum products to unsuspected customers.

According to the officer in charge of retail outlets and monitoring of the DPR, Mr. Banard Amos, who headed the inspecting team on the routine exercise, told reporters in Gombe that some independent marketers and one NNPC retail filling station were found to be fully involved in selling above the regulated pump price, hoarding, diversion and selling in jerry-cans to black marketers.

The NNPC retail filling station in Gombe was sealed following hoarding of Petroleum product in DPK tank, and SID Oil and Gas Nigeria Ltd in Azare of Bauchi State, and 15 others were also sealed for hoarding 31,000 litres of PMS and selling above pump price.

Mr Banard, said that due to the high demand for the petroleum products, the DPR, was constrained to be mild. At such, the punishments given to the defaulters, may not be stringent enough.

Amos, also said that the Department would intensify monitoring of retail outlets with the sole aim and objective of sanitizing the activities of marketers, adding that the objective for doing that is not to punish marketers, but to educate and remind them so that all of their operations would be conducted within the ambient of the petroleum laws and regulations.

He also advised the marketers to be cautious while discharging petroleum products, to ensure that earthing cables functionality is ascertained and trucks well earthed before the commencement of product discharge into the underground tanks.