Ali Abare, Gombe
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has compelled a fuel marketer, B. A. Bello, in Gombe State, to return 13,000 litres of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) it earlier diverted.
DPR official,s who were on ground to ensure the marketer complied with the order, thereafter, supervised the dispensation of the product to customers at official pump price of N145.
Speaking to Daily Sun, on Friday, DPR Gombe Zonal Controller, Abdullahi Abawa, said the department initially sealed the filling station located in Kumo town of Akko Local Government Area after discovering that the marketer diverted 15, 000 out of the 45, 000 litres he received as supply from the NNPC.
The station has remained sealed for more than one week pending the time the marketer returned the amount of fuel diverted.
According to Abawa, oil marketers hardly heed to advice and warnings from the department but always flout DPR’s regulations.
“DPR does not have penchant for sealing filling stations. The most important thing is to commit marketers to obey DPR’s statutory regulations,” he said.
While noting that DPR and marketers are partners, Abawa pointed out that with the fuel situation in the country, sealing up filling stations should be the last option.
“DPR tries to make marketers understand the foolishness and lack of wisdom in diverting, hoarding or hiking pump price. We let them understand the dangers of getting involved in such activities,” he explained.
Abawa added that DPR in Gombe brings together marketers regularly with a view to making them understand the regulations so as to reduce sharp practices associated with the business.
The DPR controller described as cheering, the gradual disappearance of long queues at filling stations, particularly in Gombe, attributing the feat to steady fuel supply.
“This is a function of the fuel supply into Gombe from depots including that of Gombe. In the last one week, there has been some improvement in supply and that’s cheering,” he said.