FUEL SCARCITY: MOTORISTS HAIL DPR’S ORDER COMPELLING STATIONS TO DISPENSE FUEL

LAGOS, Nigeria – Motorists in Lagos on Thursday expressed joy over the rescued mission embarked on by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) compelling filling stations hoarding petrol to dispense the product.

They expressed their feelings during the inspection tour by DPR official led by Mr Musa Tambawal, the Head of Operations, Lagos Zonal Office, DPR in Lagos. News Agency of Nigeria reports that petrol stations like Mobil and MRS filling stations in Victoria Island and MRS, Ascon, Oando, Conoil in Muritala Muhammed Way in Ebute Meta Lagos were visited.

NAN reports that over 30,000 litres of petrol were discovered hoarded under the pretense of low dead stock to dispense by the stations. Some of the motorist who spoke to the media expressed their gratitude to the management of DPR for compeling the stations to dispense the product as against their wish.

Mr Wale Adeyemi, a commercial bus driver said “the filling stations across this area had refused to sell their product for the past three days.

“However, these stations are opened to buyers at evening hours to jerry cans who pay extra money to get the product. The presence of DPR has changed things for us otherwise I can bet that the stations would not sell, as we are forced to journey to Apapa to get the product,” he said.

Another motorist, Mrs. Chinyere Okoro, told newsmen that she had a whisper from a friend on the presence of DPR which forced her out from home to the station and leverage on their presence to get the product.

“I charge the regulators to constantly be on guard against nefarious and fraudulent acts from these marketers who often time hoard the product and rip Nigerians a whole fortune. It is without doubt that these stations would shut their gate after the inspection of DPR, which is not fair to the masses who are desperately in need of petrol for their everyday activities.”

Reacting to these situation, Head of Operations, Lagos Zonal Office, DPR, Musa Tambuwa, called on marketers to shun these illicit act of hoarding or be made to pay fine. According to him,there are lots of insinuations that filling stations are refusing to sell petrol to motorist and other users of these product.

“As you can see some stations are storing more than the minimum dead stock level. Dead stock are level that product cannot dispense anymore. We are going to ensure that Nigerians are not defrauded. It is also important for us to manage the supply to ensure that it gets to our consumers. If we find any station engaging in sharp practice, be sure that the arm of the law would not hold back at such defaulters.”

He, therefore, called for calm among buyers of these product, saying the DPR was ready to see these challenges go away in due time.