Segun Awofadeji in Gombe
Operations Controller of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Gombe, Mr. Abdullahi Abawa, yesterday said his office would intensify efforts at uncovering and sanctioning illegal petroleum stations operating in the hinterlands of the state.
He stated this yesterday after he led an operation where eleven petroleum filling stations were sealed for various offenses, six among them were operating with expired licenses.
He explained that operations showed that most of the filling stations in the remote places could be culpable since limited attention was given to operators of these stations outside the urban areas.
During the operations that was carried out in the presence of journalists, Abawa noted that his office would henceforth intensify efforts aimed at sanitising the operations of petrol stations in villages and semi-urban towns so that consumers would get value for their money.
Abawa, who cautioned car users against panic purchase fuel for their cars, assured that there was enough fuel in the state to last the yuletide season and even beyond.
During the operations, six stations were sealed for operating with expired licenses, three stations sealed for gross under dispensing of PMS from their pumps while one station was sealed for diverting 30,000 litres of PMS.
Another station was sealed for indiscriminate parking of trucks at their outlet as well as keeping a dirty environment, making a total of eleven stations sealed for various offences.
