DPR sanctions 39 erring filling stations for sharp practices in February

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DRP)  on Monday said that about 39 erring filing stations was sanctioned in February for various offenses ranging from under dispensing, hoarding and selling above pump price.

Mr Wole Akinyosoye, the  DPR Zonal Operations Controller, Lagos office said in a statement made available to newsmen in Lagos that agency would not hesitates to clamp down any stations found cheating the public.

Akinyosoye said that in furtherance to the ongoing efforts to of Government to ensuring constant supply of petroleum products across the nation; the agency has redoubled surveillance at the depots and retail outlets in its jurisdiction.

According to him, we have been monitoring activities at the depots to gauge availability and ensure timely truck-out of available products. “We have also intensified surveillance to ensure that available petrol is not sold above the N145.00 cap price at the pumps.

“However, we noticed that some unscrupulous operators, aware that our officials cannot possibly be at all the 9,039 registered retail outlets in Lagos Zone at the same time often adjust their pumps to deliver at the cap price.

“Whenever they sense DPR presence in their area and hike the price subsequently. We therefore advise that motorists should insist on obtaining receipts for the purchase from such retail outlets,’’ he advised.

Akinyosoye  said that the department is expending all efforts to ring erring marketers to book through imposition of fines and suspensions in line with extant regulations, specifically, the following retail outlets were sanctioned in the zone in February 2018. “We shall continue to expose retail outlets caught in underhand dealings and those sabotaging the government’s efforts at returning to operational normalcy in the zone.