DPR seals 5 filling stations in Kogi

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has sealed five filling stations in Lokoja for selling petrol above the government regulated price of N145 per litre.

The DPR Operations Controller in charge of Kogi State, Engineer Amos Jokodola who ordered the sealing while inspecting all the filling stations in Lokoja yesterday to asses level of compliance and sales of the product, expressed disappointment over the attitude of some fuel dealers who he said derived the pleasure of flaunting the government price.

He also lamented that some stations had enough petrol in their underground tanks but decided to hoard the product to cause artificial scarcity.

“Imagine, some filling stations have enough fuel but they choose not to sell to customers; we are coming round the stations to force them to sell at government price. The five stations we sealed have fuel and sell above government price while some saw us coming and closed their fuel stations. We will continue to monitor them until they comply and make the petrol available to motorists,” he said.

While urging motorists and tricyclists to display orderliness in order to get the fuel at government price, the DPR Operations Controller warned filling stations owners to desist from reserving petrol for people without the approval of the regulating body.

Some of the motorists who spoke, commended DPR for taking such measures to curtail the excesses of petroleum marketers.