The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), has dispensed fuel to motorists and motorcyclists for free in a filling station in Kaduna State.
The station, Samrada Nigeria Limited, located at Romi Junction in the state capital, was said to have a total of 19, 500 litres of fuel which it was hoarding.
The agency, led by the Zonal Controller, Usman Ndanusa, during its routine inspection of petrol stations across the state, discovered that the petrol station was also selling above the Federal Government’s approved price of 87 Naira per litre, only at night.
The Manager of the filling station however complained of not getting the product from the depot at government approved price, hence they have to adjust their retail prices.
The DPR officials also ordered another filling station along Romi Road to reverse to the 87 Naira pump price per litre, as against the 135 Naira it was selling. The owner of the filling station was fined the sum of 100,000 Naira for selling above the approved pump price.
The controller explained that the punitive measure would serve as deterrent to other hoarders. He said the agency was poised to ensure that the commodity was properly distributed among commuters.
While expressing hope that the scarcity of petrol across the state would soon disappear, as daily supply from Lagos has incresed, the Controller warned marketers to stop hoarding the product or face severe sanction if caught.
The Minister of State for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, had directed the DPR not to seal off any petrol station but instead to auction petroleum products of any marketer found to be hoarding petroleum products.
