The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Aba, Abia State has sealed four filling stations in the state for selling fuel above the government approved pump price of N97, operating without licence and short changing customers.
247Ureports.com gathered that two filling stations were sealed in Umuahia and Aba, respectively. They include Masters Energy at Akanu Ibiam Avenue, Umuahia for operating without licence and under dispensing of products and Masters Energy, Aba Road, Umuahia, sealed for operating without licence.
Others are Universal Oil, Aba-Owerri Road, Aba which was closed for selling fuel above government approved pump price of N97 and under dispensing of products to customers while AP filling station also on Aba-Owerri Road was partially sealed as one pump was isolated for under delivery of gas.
During a visit to Charles Ben Moore filling station, Ubakala, Umuahia where fuel was being sold for N100, the manager, David Erugo was ordered to revert to the N97 pump price or risked the place being closed down. He compiled immediately.
Erugo said they were selling above the approved pump price because they bought from major independent marketers at higher price since the filling station had not started getting delivery from the NNPC depot.
Speaking with journalists after the exercise, the operational controller of DPR, Aba Area office, Engr. Patrick Orji said it was unfortunate that some marketers of petroleum products still engaged in acts of sabotage against the federal government and involve in activities to cheat their customers.
Orji said his Department would no longer fold its arms and watch oil marketers perpetrate all forms of anomalies in the name of doing business, stressing that government guidelines as it concerns the sale of petroleum products must be followed to the later.
He warned those whose filling stations were sealed not to re-open until DPR has re-verified the pumps and found them functioning accurately.
“They remain sealed until proper re-adjustment is done which is subject to re-verification by DPR. The pumps will only be re-opened if they are found to be delivering accurately and the product (PMS) is sold for N97 per litre,” he said.
He stated that the exercise would be a continuous one and advised motorists to always report to his office whenever filling station owners tried to cheat them through one way or the other.
