Yemisi Izuora
Further to the ongoing efforts of Government to ensure constant supply of petroleum products across the nation, the Department of Petroleum Resources, Lagos Zone has redoubled surveillance at the depots and retail outlets in its jurisdiction.
In the latest action, the DPR has sanctioned 31 outlets operated by independent petroleum marketers, as at February 2018.
The stations were found to have committed different infractions ranging from, products hoarding, selling above pump price and under dispensing of petrol to motorists.
In a press release issued in Lagos on Monday by Wole Akinyosoye Zonal Operations Controller, DPR, Lagos, the agency said it has strengthened its monitoring activities at the depots to gauge availability and ensure timely truck-out of available products and has also intensified surveillance to ensure that available petrol is not sold above the N145.00 cap price at the pumps.
“However, we noticed that some unscrupulous operators, aware that our officials cannot possibly be at all the 9,039 registered retail outlets in Lagos Zone at the same time, often adjust their pumps to deliver at the cap price whenever they sense DPR presence in their area and hike the price subsequently. We therefore advise that motorists should insist on obtaining receipts for the purchase from such retail outlets”, Akinyosoye advised.
According to him, The Department is expending all efforts to bring erring marketers to book through imposition of fines and suspensions in line with extant regulations.
We shall continue to expose Retail Outlets caught in underhand dealings and those sabotaging the Government’s efforts at returning to operational normalcy in the Zone.