The Department of Petroleum Resources, Enugu Field Office, on Monday sealed off eight petrol stations in Enugu for dispensing Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) above the government approved pump price.
The Head, Operations, Mr. Afam Azuike, disclosed this on Monday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Enugu.
Azuike, however, said that three out of the affected petrol stations were later unsealed as they reverted to the government approved price of the product.
He said that the sealing off of the defaulting petrol stations followed public outcry over the weekend that petroleum marketers had arbitrarily increased the pump price of petrol.
He said that the field office on Monday embarked on ‘an aggressive surveillance’ in Enugu metropolis during which they inspected 29 petrol stations.
“We discovered that the major marketers sold between N162 and N175. They complained about the cost of the product at the depot as well as the freight charges from Lagos to Enugu.
“We are aware that government has not increased the price band of PMS, which is on partial deregulation.
“The current price band is cost-reflective, taking into cognisance the international cost of crude oil and cost of importation of refined products,” he said.
Azuike said that the five that refused to revert would remain sealed off and be sanctioned in line with the default regulations.
The head of operations said that they discovered that several petrol stations were under lock and key, adding that “we do not know whether they have products or not but the surveillance will continue.
“We noticed that there was panic buying of PMS in Enugu over the weekend, but after this surveillance, there will be free flow of products in the state.
“We want residents of the state to know that there is no fuel scarcity in the state,” he said.
Azuike appealed to commuters not to play into the hands of greedy petroleum marketers and to report anyone selling above the approved pump price.
“No one should be compelled to buy PMS above the approved pump price. Our office is always open and if you report defaulters we will swing into action,” he said.
Azuike said that the surveillance would continue in other states in the field.
Petrol scarcity led to a rise in its pump price in the state in the last four days as some petroleum marketers sold as high as N210 per litre.
(NAN)
