DPR SEALS TEN FILLING STATIONS IN ONDO STATE.

*Station owners association kicks
By Dayo Johnson,  Akure NO fewer than ten filling stations have been sealed across Ondo state by the officials of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Task Force on petroleum in the state for selling Petrol above the pump price. DPR official sealing a fuel station In a swift response, Petroleum Filling station and Owners Association has ordered their members to close their outlets. Findings by Vanguard showed that officials of the DPR and the state task force on petroleum stormed filling stations in the state and forced them to sell at the approved pump price. The DPR and task force officials were acting on information that the dealers were selling diverted products at between N150. And N200 per litre. But the petroleum filling station owners Association Chairman Adefolajimi Adedapo said in Akure that the order to close their outlets was “sequel to the alleged harassment and intimidation of members by government agencies. Adedapo said members of the association were being forced to sell Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) at N86.50 by government agencies while many of their stations had been sealed. “Since we have not gotten the products at the approved price and that we buy at depot between N135 and N145 per litre in Lagos and Warri, there is no way we could sell the product at approved price. He pointed out that “since we are in business to make profit and we are under obligation to pay taxes, we find it difficult to sell at a loss”. The chairman asked the government to enforce the regulated price from the depots all over the country and not at the outlets if government really want to enforce price. Adedapo challenged the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation to make public the number of trucks approved for loading to Ondo State on daily basis and how many goes to his members “It is not cheering that some of our members have paid the official rate since December 2015 and are yet to get the products as at now. You know the financial implications of this” On the way out of the crisis, the chairman said NNPC and Petroleum and Pipeline Marketing Company (PPMC) should increase the volume of product through transfer from Mosimi, Ejigbo and Ibadan Depots to Ore Depot instead of concentrating on mega stations and majot outlets. “The DPR and Civil Defence Corps should divert their attention to depots and ensure compliance with the regulated price of PMS from source from major marketers depots and private marketers depots. “Government should ensure availability of the product in Ore Depot which had been abandoned for over three years. “We do not derive joy in going about depots looking for fuel with high attendant risks. We need to do business with rest of mind” Adedapo said that ” the closure of their stations would continue until the authorities involved are able to make available PMS for them to buy at the regulated price to enable them sell at N86.50 to the public. The chairman who asked the Federal Government to summon courage and act if total deregulation was the solution to the problem described a situation whereby government remove subsidy and at the same time regulate prices as contradictory.



Isaac Nobenz