The Department of Petroleum Resources, Ibadan field office, has sealed off no fewer than 100 petrol stations across Oyo and Osun states in a week-long inspection exercise. The filling stations were sealed off for various offences ranging from diversion of petroleum products, selling of the products above government approved prices, under measurement, manipulated meter counts and other sharp practices. Among the affected filling stations sealed on Thursday in Ibadan are BK Petroleum, Prolek, Mubilat Oil, Hamzat, Mallo, Taska Energy, S.T. Akpata, Femson filling stations, among others. The Controller, Ibadan Field Office, Olakunle Ogunlana, whose influence spans Oyo and Osun states operations, and who led the team on the inspection exercise across the Ibadan metropolis, explained that the effort became imperative in view of recent antics of some marketers who engaged in sharp practices to mortgage and rubbish the government’s efforts at ensuring steady availability of the product.
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He said: “The intention is to make petrol stations to sell fuel at the normal government approved prices. Petroleum is available in the country and the government is doing enough to make sure the product is never in short supply but some marketers would not just sell at the approved price as a result of greed.”
While assuring that the exercise would be a continuous one, Ogunlana warned petrol marketers to desist “from excessive greed because the present government still pays subsidy on the products that has allowed reasonable margin of profit for the marketers.”
Recently, a team of inspectors were verbally and physically assaulted by some individuals who claimed to be members of Petroleum Tankers Drivers’ (PTD) at the NNPC Apata depot.
Ogunlana had led the team to inspect the depot and seek some clarifications from the depot manager but was mobbed by the fierce looking individuals.
But for the wisdom of Ogunlana, the situation would have degenerated into a free for all. Despite the DPR customised jacket worn by the officials, the PTD members challenged the authourity of the DPR officials on the site and even threatened to unleash terror should the team insist on doing anything without their consent. The situation readily makes a first timer suspicious of the activities at the depot.
It is alleged that the PTD members at the Apata depot have a history of notoriety against security and monitoring agencies as the Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corps and men of Directorate of State Security have had similar experiences.
Responding to questions on allegations of sale-after-sale, selling above government regulated prices and touting among others at the Ibadan depot, Mr. Garba Gbiawan, the NNPC/PPMC Ibadan depot manager, assured that the depot worked in line with government policy and would never allow for anything of such to transpire at the depot.
The DPR Ibadan Field Operations Controller, however, emphasized the importance of synergy between the two subsidiaries in order to frustrate efforts of marketers who often sabotage government’s efforts for excessive and undue profits.
The meeting, which lasted about 45 minutes was also attended by some officials of the NNPC/PPMC. Gbina also apologized to Ogunlana on the assault by the PTD members.
