DPR shuts 100 fuel stations in Oyo, Osun

According to Ibadan field office of the Department of Petroleum Resources, which controls Oyo and Osun states, has sealed about 100 petrol filling stations across the two states in a weeklong exercise aimed at penalising marketers who sell petrol above the official pump price of N87 per litre.

Apart from selling above the regulated price, the management of the affected filling stations were also accused of diversion of petroleum products, tampering with meters and other sharp practices.

Some of the filling stations shut in Ibadan and Osogbo are Agape Energy, Femson Petroleum, S.T. Akpata Petroleum, Taska Energy Resources, Mallo Petroleum, Hamzat Oil, BK Petroleum, Mubilat Oil and Prolek Oil.

The Operations Controller, Ibadan field office, DPR, Mr. Olakunle Ogunlana, who led the team around the Ibadan metropolis on Thursday, explained that the move became imperative in view of the excesses of some fuel marketers who engaged in dubious activities that raised the price of petrol and frustrated the government’s effort at making the product available to the people.

Earlier in the day, our correspondent observed that many filling stations in Ibadan, which perhaps got information that the DPR was carrying out an inspection, began to sell the product at N87 per litre instead of the previous rate of between N100 and N120 per litre.

After the exercise, Ogunlana said, “The intention is to ensure that petrol filling stations sell at the normal government approved price. Petrol is available in the country and the government is doing enough to make sure that the product is never in short supply across the country, but some marketers will not just sell at the approved price as a result of greed.”

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DPR shuts 100 fuel stations in Oyo, Osun

According to Ibadan field office of the Department of Petroleum Resources, which controls Oyo and Osun states, has sealed about 100 petrol filling stations across the two states in a weeklong exercise aimed at penalising marketers who sell petrol above the official pump price of N87 per litre.

Apart from selling above the regulated price, the management of the affected filling stations were also accused of diversion of petroleum products, tampering with meters and other sharp practices.

Some of the filling stations shut in Ibadan and Osogbo are Agape Energy, Femson Petroleum, S.T. Akpata Petroleum, Taska Energy Resources, Mallo Petroleum, Hamzat Oil, BK Petroleum, Mubilat Oil and Prolek Oil.

The Operations Controller, Ibadan field office, DPR, Mr. Olakunle Ogunlana, who led the team around the Ibadan metropolis on Thursday, explained that the move became imperative in view of the excesses of some fuel marketers who engaged in dubious activities that raised the price of petrol and frustrated the government’s effort at making the product available to the people.

Earlier in the day, our correspondent observed that many filling stations in Ibadan, which perhaps got information that the DPR was carrying out an inspection, began to sell the product at N87 per litre instead of the previous rate of between N100 and N120 per litre.

After the exercise, Ogunlana said, “The intention is to ensure that petrol filling stations sell at the normal government approved price. Petrol is available in the country and the government is doing enough to make sure that the product is never in short supply across the country, but some marketers will not just sell at the approved price as a result of greed.”

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Stop harassing marketers, DPR tells task force

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Wednesday appealed to the State Task Force on Petroleum against harassment, extortion and intimidation of marketers. The Operations Controller of DPR in Eket, Mr. Asuquo Antai, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eket.

“It is not proper for the state task force to harass anybody that is doing oil and gas business under licence, these people were licenced under the DPR. “It is expected that the state task force operations will complement the work of DPR, not negate what we are doing. “But when the task force goes out to neither seal petrol stations nor pick locked up marketers, it becomes another issue all together,” Antai said.

He said the state government does not have powers to regulate and monitor oil and gas activities in the country. “It is the prerogative of the Federal Government to regulate and monitor oil and gas activities all over the federation. “The Federal Government in its wisdom set up the DPR laws to carry out these functions; DPR has been doing this diligently.

“It is not out of place for the state to ensure that business activities within its area of authority are done under control and in line with the rules of the land,” he said. The DPR boss decried the situation where the state task force sealed petrol stations and lock up marketers in the state. He said that when the task force observed lapses, they should report to DPR officials for necessary action.

“I can tell you that members of the task force have never been to the DPR office; I don’t know the members of the task force, I don’t know their mode of operation. “So we don’t have a working relationship, the marketers had decided to take the issue to court,” he said. Antai urged the task force to allow DPR carry out its functions and not to take laws into its hands.

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Stop harassing marketers, DPR tells task force

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Wednesday appealed to the State Task Force on Petroleum against harassment, extortion and intimidation of marketers. The Operations Controller of DPR in Eket, Mr. Asuquo Antai, made the appeal in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eket.

“It is not proper for the state task force to harass anybody that is doing oil and gas business under licence, these people were licenced under the DPR. “It is expected that the state task force operations will complement the work of DPR, not negate what we are doing. “But when the task force goes out to neither seal petrol stations nor pick locked up marketers, it becomes another issue all together,” Antai said.

He said the state government does not have powers to regulate and monitor oil and gas activities in the country. “It is the prerogative of the Federal Government to regulate and monitor oil and gas activities all over the federation. “The Federal Government in its wisdom set up the DPR laws to carry out these functions; DPR has been doing this diligently.

“It is not out of place for the state to ensure that business activities within its area of authority are done under control and in line with the rules of the land,” he said. The DPR boss decried the situation where the state task force sealed petrol stations and lock up marketers in the state. He said that when the task force observed lapses, they should report to DPR officials for necessary action.

“I can tell you that members of the task force have never been to the DPR office; I don’t know the members of the task force, I don’t know their mode of operation. “So we don’t have a working relationship, the marketers had decided to take the issue to court,” he said. Antai urged the task force to allow DPR carry out its functions and not to take laws into its hands.

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DPR to demolish illegal petrol stations in Akwa Ibom

Mr Asuquo Antai, Controller of Operations, Department of Petroleum Resources, said on Thursday the organisation would begin to demolish over 150 illegal petrol stations in Akwa Ibom. Antai told the News Agency of Nigeria in Eket, Akwa Ibom, that the stations, which were built on unsuitable sites, had no licence to operate.

He said although some of the station owners had commenced the regularisation of their documents, the development was unhealthy. Antai said, “We are ready to work with the state government to ensure that all the stations are demolished. “Some of them had started running to DPR for regularisation of their documents.

“I have told them categorically that we will not rush to regularise any papers until they get the appropriate government approval.” The DPR boss advised the marketers to always get appropriate guidelines before going into the business. He said the various fire incidents that occurred in some parts of the country and outside the country were through illegal location of petrol stations.

He commended the Akwa Ibom Government’s effort to demolish stations without town planning authority permission to build in residential areas. Antai also said,”The lives and property of the citizens of the state must be protected. “DPR supports the present government in its effort to checkmate unauthorised petrol stations in the state. “We cannot allow the building of illegal stations to go unchecked because they will expose the people to serious danger in the nearest future.”

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