DPR seals 33 filling stations in Ogun for over-pricing

The Operations Director, Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Ogun Field Office, Mrs Muinat Bello-Zagi, on Thursday revealed that the agency has sealed 33 out of the 444 filling stations visited in the state in the last seven weeks.

Mrs Bello – Zagi added that the affected stations were sealed following the discovery that the owners were over – pricing, under – dispensing and hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (PMS).

The DPR Operations Director made this known while briefing journalists after the agency had met with representatives of major and independent petroleum marketers in the state.

She said two of those sealed stations would be fined and barred from taking supply of PMS at the Depot for the time being for removing the seal placed on their stations.

According to her, the DPR had continued to carry out surveillance and monitoring of filling stations across the state, with 75 per cent of them dispensing petrol to motorists.

“In Ogun State, the DPR has been on surveillance and monitoring of the filling stations across the state.

Read Also: DPR sanctions seven stations

” We have been to Ogun Waterside, Mowe-Ibafo, Ipokia, Ado Odo- Ota, Abeokuta metropolis, Sagamu, Ijebu Ode among others.

“Between January and February 22, we have visited 444 filling stations across the state and we discovered 245 out of this number were dispensing the Premium Motor Spirit popularly as petrol to motorists.

“This shows about 75 per cent of the filling stations were dispensing products to motorists.

“However, also out of this number, 33 filling stations were sealed for either over-pricing, under- dispensing and hoarding. Two of the of them were located on Lagos-Ibadan Expressway. These two filling stations, were sealed but their owners removed our seal, without recourse to us.

“We have asked the depots not to supply them products, they will definely pay fines for removing our seal,” he said.

She also said the DPR had started online monitoring of petroleum retail outlets in the state.

Bello-Zagi appealed to both major and independent marketers not to hoard petroleum products and warned the public against panic buying.

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