The Ondo State Government, on Saturday compelled filling stations hoarding petrol in Owo and Akure areas of the state to dispense the product at the normal pump price of N145 per litre.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Ondo State Government Monitoring team forced filling stations found to be hoarding petroleum to sell the product at normal price of N145 per litre.
NAN also reports that a total of 50,000 litres were hoarded at the eight filling stations, while other stations sold as high as N250 and N170 per litre.
Speaking with newsmen during a monitoring exercise, Dr Doyin Adebowale, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Gov. Akeredolu on Special Duties and Strategy, said credible intelligence by the citizens of Ondo gave birth to the monitoring.
“The people reported the sharp practices of the fuel marketers such as hoarding and selling of the fuel at high prices, which was confirmed during the monitoring.
“A litre of petrol was sold for N170 in Akure and as high as N250 in Owo. We have also been to Idanre because this government insists on protecting the interests of the people,” he said.
Odebowale said the monitoring would be a continuous exercise while there were enough laws to punish the erring marketers.
“We will not allow any hoarding or inflation of petrol. We will ensure that nobody will be permitted to put our people under any hardship this yuletide.
`If they continue, we will revoke their Certificate of Ownership,” he warned.
Similarly, Mr Jimoh Dojumo, Senior Special Assistant (SSA) to Gov. Akeredolu on Security, said the erring filling stations would be penalised.
“We are collating all our evidences which we will relay to the Department of Petroleum Resources ( DPR) for definite action against the erring stations. That is the department responsible for penalising them,” he said
Also, High Chief Babatunde Oluka from Owo, a customer, lauded the efforts of Gov. Akeredolu to reduce the hardship of the the people.
“The government of Akeredolu is trying to see that the citizens of the state have a very good and stress free life, but the marketers in Owo are trying to frustrate those efforts.
“Those hoarding fuel should be punished under the provisions of the law because they are selling fuel at N300 per litre.
“All the filling stations in Owo have fuel, but are hoarding or selling at N300. They are making life unbearable for us.
“I will plead with Akeredolu to tell the Area Commander to put some men at the filling stations to ensure that petrol remains N145 and is sold, not hoarded.
“We are grateful for this monitoring exercise,” he said.
However, a Fuel Marketer, Mr Folorunso Olubajo, heaped the blame of the fuel scarcity on the failure of the Federal Government to provide adequate refineries in the country.
(NAN)
