The Department of Petroleum Resources, has threatened to mete out sever sanctions against petroleum products marketers engaged in the profiteering by hoarding, diverting petroleum products and also manipulating prices to shortchange motorists.
In a statement in Abuja, Director of the DPR, Mr. Mordecai Ladan, said the unwholesome activities of some petroleum products marketers had come to the attention of the DPR.
According to him, some marketers are indulged in the hoarding and diversion of petroleum products at their various trucks holding terminals across the country while also manipulating their retail dispensing pumps at the filling stations to the detriment of unsuspecting buyers.
Ladan said the DPR is committed to ensuring that marketers comply fully with oil and gas business best practices, while he warned the unscrupulous marketers to desist from such sharp practices and deliver products lifted from the depots to designated filling stations, within the stipulated 1-3 days grace period, depending on the point of discharge.
He noted that DPR offices nationwide had been directed to intensify surveillance activities to all private truck parking terminals and depots to ensure that petroleum products lifted from depots are neither hoarded nor diverted. He assured the public that the Federal Government maintains adequate daily sufficiency of products while intensifying efforts to revamp and enhance the performance of its local refineries to fill in any identified gaps.
He said, “The sanctions applicable to all defaulters of the laws and regulations guiding sales and distributions of petroleum products in the country remain in force.
“The general public is advised to contact the DPR through Hotline no: 08057495196 for any observed sharp practices by Petroleum Products Marketers.”
