By Oluwayemi Davidson, Warri
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Warri Zonal Office has sealed seven petroleum retail outlets in Delta State over sharp practices just as it warned marketers against hoarding fuel.
It assured that the federal government had said it would not increase the petroleum pump price.
The Assistant Director, Operation, DPR, Warri Zonal Office, Mr. Olakanmi Ayodeji, disclosed this to journalists in Warri on Thursday saying that the erring filling stations were sealed on Tuesday in Oleh, the administrative headquarters of Isoko South Local Government Area of the state.
He listed the petroleum retail outlets as Robor Nig. Ltd; Felimbuk Nig. Ltd; AP Oleh Service Station; Eskom Electrical Ltd; Mama G Divine Project; Dipaag Oil and Gas and another Felimbuk Nig. Ltd.
The DPR official explained that the petroleum retail outlets were sealed for offences bordering on under-dispensing, operating without valid licenses and hoarding, among others.
According to him, the DPR surveillance team led by Mr. Gusau Sale, Chief Technical Officer, Warri, had visited 17 outlets in the Ughelli/Isoko axis and shut down seven stations while four out of the remaining 10 filling stations were without products.
While maintaing that the offenders would pay the stipulated fines to the Federal Government before they will be reopened for business, the assistant director remarked that the agency would continue to sustain its surveillance across the state to check sharp practices among the marketers.
The Assistant Director said, “DPR sealed about seven petrol stations over various offences ranging from under-dispensing, operating without valid licenses and hoarding.
“The exercise was successful and we will continue to do follow up in the area and other parts of the state.
“We already have in our guidelines fines stipulated for the various offences to be paid. Once they pay, we go and unsealed and monitor them to ensure they do not under-dispensed to the public.
“We do not want the public to be shortchanged, we make sure they sell the right product, quantity and quality. That is the essence the surveillance”.
Speaking further, he warned the marketers against hoarding fuel noting that federal government had said it would not increase the petroleum pump price.
He said, “Our people have been to the depots and trucks are loading, so marketers should not hoard product, anyone caught will be dealt with according to the DPR rules and regulations”.