DPR KADUNA ZONAL OFFICE EXPOSES FUEL STATIONS SELLING UNDER GOVT APPROVED PUMP PRICE OF PETROL

"The deceit is that members of the public will be misled into thinking that they are buying a litre of fuel at #143 as against government approved rate of #145, whereas, it is not so"..... DPR

"Our actions are aimed at ensuring that the general public gets quality service from operators in petroleum sector, at all times".



The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, as part of its regulatory functions in the oil and gas sector, has sealed off some fuel stations in Kaduna state.

The DPR team which was led by its Zonal Operations Controller, Isa Tafida disclosed that the operation was to monitor petrol companies and their stations that are in the habit of shortchanging the general public by selling petrol above the government approved price of #145.

The two stations sealed are the MRS and an NNPC station, both located at Gonin Gora, along the Kaduna-Abuja highway in Kaduna state.

Addressing the media during exercise, the Zonal Operations Controller disclose that, his team discovered that one of the company which claimed to be selling below the Government approved rate of #145/litre, was in actual sense, selling above the pump price.

"There are contraventions in certain operational procedures. They do not have provisions for emergency situations in case of fire outbreak and emergency response line, which was not in place", the Tafida stated.

"The Housing is also not in line with Standard Operating Procedures. We are therefore, sealing the station and the company, MRS, will be appropriately sanctioned", he said.

"MRS is one of the major fuel companies in Nigeria presently".

According to the Zonal Operations Controller, this action by the MRS, is very unfortunate.

"The deceit is that members of the public will be misled into thinking that they are buying a litre of fuel at #143 as against government approved rate of #145, whereas, it is not so. This action of the MRS is against the rules and regulations of the Department of Petroleum Resources. Therefore, appropriate sanctions will be imposed", Isa Tafida stated.

Fielding questions from the media, the Kaduna DPR Zonal Operations Controller revealed that their action is part of the monitoring of the activities of fuel stations which is aimed at ensuring that the general public gets quality service from operators in petroleum sector, at all times including the yuletide season.

"This exercise is in the course of our surveillance and monitoring activities to ensure that fuel companies comply with the Department's procedures of operating in accordance with the provision of the law" he said.

He noted that the companies were sealed for the offences committed, stating that the first offence was that they failed to provide fire installations and buckets which were not in existence, as at the time of their inspection.

"You can see that, out of the six (6) dispensing pumps, only two (2) are functioning. They are dispensing but they are grossly under dispensing  with about 200-300 millimetres to the public".

"We have sealed the station and we shall be taking appropriate measures against the companies. They have to pay a fine of three hundred thousand naira and then, we will issue them with a warning for cheating members of the public".