Not less than 10 filling stations were sealed off in different parts of
Ibadan, the Oyo state capital, following the enforcement by a combined
team of the operatives of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR)
and officials of the Oyo state government.
Seven were sealed off yesterday in addition to the three sealed off on Tuesday.
The filling stations sealed off were found guilty of hoarding and selling petrol above the approved pump price of N145.
The team also forced four filling stations that were hoarding fuel to
dispense at the Federal government approved pump price to the relief of
the people.
The government said it set up the special task force team to support the
DPR officials to rid the state of the activities of economic saboteurs
parading themselves as petroleum marketers.
The enforcement took place in Akobo, Ashi, Apata, Olorundaba, among other areas.
Some of the filling stations sealed include Kesbash Oil Nigeria Limited,
Swort Oil & Gas, Oduwoye Global Services Ltd, JOSFRAD International
Venture, Roylab International Venture and Baley Nigeria Limited
DPR Deputy Controller (Operations), Oyo State Sadiq Ibrahim who led the
team told reporters that the essence of the monitoring was to check
hoarding and price hike.
Ibrahim said:
“Those filling stations caught hoarding the product will be charged for
hoarding, while those who were selling above pump price will also be
sanctioned. “This is because government has not increased pump price.
What we have been able to do is to compel those hoarding to sell to the
public at pump price and later seal them,’’ he said.
Special Adviser to Governor Abiola Ajimobi on Community Relations Alhaji
Abidemi Siyanbade said the team would continue with the enforcement
until sanity returned.
Residents of the areas visited across the metropolis lauded the
initiative, saying the efforts would go a long way in alleviating the
hardship.
Mr Awoniyi Babatunde, a resident, said: “This is a great mess and we
can’t continue like this. Our people cannot continue to blame the
government on the issue but face the reality. Some marketers are just
wicked. We are happy about the enforcement,’’ he said.
The Nation