The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Tuesday threatened to clamped down indefinitely any petrol filling station engaged in hoarding.

Chioma Njoku, Operations’ Controller for Lagos Zone of the agency, made the assertion in Lagos. Njoku said that the agency’s surveillance teams would clamp down on filling stations hoarding petrol or selling above the approved rate of N87 per liter.

According to her, the department has been inundated with complaints from the public on the arbitrarily fixing of petrol prices above the government approved rate.

She said such actions of the marketers negated the rules of engagement, stressing that DPR would sanction any outlet that indulged in illegal acts. Njoku also charged marketers of petroleum products in Lagos to ensure that the products supply and distribution to the public met the recommended specifications.

She said that DPR had sanctioned some erring marketers caught hoarding petrol and engaging in other sharp practices. She said the DPR would have sanctioned many more stations that were caught with sharp practices but decided to warn them due to the situation at hand. She said also that the current scarcity was artificial and that the DPR would continue to ensure compliance at the filling stations and depots across the country.

Credit: NAN