Marketers Sabotaging Govt’s Effort on Supplying Fuel to Nigerians, Says DPR

Seriki Adinoyi in Jos

The Operations Manager of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) Jos field office, Mr. Jeremiah Mashat has disclosed that for the fuel scarcity in Plateau State to be finally solved, marketers in the state must desist from hoarding the product.

He however assured that there would be a surplus fuel in the state if the current level of supply is sustained, noting that in the last three days, the state has had supply of 30 trucks per day, which the DPR is monitoring to ensure that it is neither diverted nor dispensed wrongly.

Mashat spoke on Saturday during the monitoring of filling stations in parts of Mangu and Pankshin local government areas of the state to ensure that the marketers don’t extort buyers by selling above the approved pump price of N145 per liter.

While expressing displeasure at the level of hoarding by the marketers, Mashat charged them to adhere to ethical practices in the sale of the product to avoid sanction.

According to him, staff of the DPR have been stationed at some of the filling stations to monitor and ensure compliance by the independent marketers as they dispense the product to the members of the public, stressing that any marketers who is found to be selling fuel above N145 per liter will incur the wrath of the regulating agency and their filling stations could be shut down.

“We cannot fold our hands and watch some people sabotaging the effort of federal government to ensure availability of fuel to its citizenry. We know that product distribution is determined by marketers and our job is to strictly monitor them. But the DPR alone can’t stop the illegality in oil business. That is why we often sensitise the people to also beware of marketers’ sharp practices and to call our attention to it.

“The marketers too must desist from sharp practices and join hands with us and the government in general to ensure the availability of fuel and to boost the oil sector by extension. We have sealed four stations today for selling above the normal price, and we shall continue and as well expand on our sanctions if the marketers don’t change from their sharp practices”, he said.