MARKETERS of petroleum products in Anambra and other states in the South East have continued to sell Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) for between N200 and N220 in Awka and its environs in spite of increased supply to the state.
Investigations on Friday, showed that all the major marketers except NNPC mega station and Total failed to comply with the N86 and N86.50 approved price.
It was discovered that at NIPCO filling station, Amawbia, customers said they bought petrol at N86.5 briefly after the product was delivered to the station.
They claimed that the management of the station adjusted their metres to N190 per litre later on Thursday. When the station was visited on Friday, petrol was being sold at N190.
An attendant, who pleaded anonymity, confirmed the price.
The attendant said he was not sure when they would revert to the normal price.
At Rainoil outlet in Ogidi, operators of the station used masking tape to cover the N140 price per litre set by management and pasted N170.
Transaction at the station was done with the aid of calculator.
George, a customer, who came to buy the product at the station, said the act was a deliberate move to cheat the people.
“From all indications, petrol has been supplied to Anambra but the marketers have refused to adjust to the normal price.
“Even those who are privileged to buy the product at a competitive price are still cashing in on the situation to cheat the consumers,” he said.
At Ifenna, filling station near Regina Ceali junction, the attendants were dispensing the product at the rate of N220 per litre.
Okwudili Akah, a customer, said the outlet always dispenses the product above the approved price.
“This has been their culture, I must tell you that DPR has had to picket this filling station a number of times; I urge the agency to intervene now,’’ he said.
Similarly, petrol stations at Agu Awka, Arroma, Unizik junction were all selling at N200 while MRS, Amawbia, NIPCO, and a few others sold the product at N190 per litre.
Masters Energy and Total which sold petrol at the approved price did not have the product as at the time of filing this report.
Chief Ikechukwu Nwankwo, the Chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN), Enugu zone, told newsmen that his members in the zone were yet to be supplied petrol at the approved price.
He urged the Federal Government to make the product available to bring down the price.
On his part, Mr Peter Ijeh, Operations Controller at the Enugu office of the Department of Petroleum Resources, gave an assurance that the agency would continue to compel marketers to sell petrol at the approved price.
