About three weeks after the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) sealed some fuel stations in Lagos for disregarding statutory guidelines for establishing filling stations and for outrightly flouting operational guidelines, the agency has again expressed worry over the continued unwholesome practices by petroleum dealers in the country.
The worry was expressed in Port Harcourt by DPR’s Acting Operations Controller for Port Harcourt Zone, Mr. Ebiye Sofimieari, during the DPR’s inspection of filling stations in Port Harcourt mid last week.
The agency’s top man expressed surprised that fuel dealers still engaged in sharp practices, even when the premium motor spirit and other kinds of fuel were available.
This development also coincided with the sealing- off of at least two filling stations also last week in Abuja by officials of the DPR for under-dispensing petroleum and a stern warning to marketers diverting petroleum products to undesignated outlets to desist from such unwholesome practices, failing which they will face the wrath of the law.
Zonal Operations Controller, Mr. Anthony Nwaokoagbara who handed down the threat at the 2010 Annual Marketers Meeting in Abuja pointed out that the act of diversion contravened the section 1 and 2 of the Petroleum Production and Distribution Act CAP P12 LFN 2004.
“Part of our statutory duties involves monitoring of petroleum products distribution. One of the challenges we are facing in this respect is the diversion of petroleum products to undesignated outlets. The Petroleum Act stipulates that when approvals are granted to trucks to load from our depots, the loaded trucks must discharge its product at a designated outlet. However, we have observed that trucks that are cleared from the depot sometimes do not get to their approved point of discharge.
This act of diversion is in contravention of Section 1 and 2 of the Petroleum Production and Distribution Act, CAP , P12 LFN 2004. We are duty bound to react to this situation in a way you may not find pleasing,” he recalled.
Sofimieri told journalists that Nigerians no longer struggled to purchase fuel, it was surprising that fuel dealers still engaged in unwholesome practices, but assured that DPR had intensified its efforts towards eliminating incidents of fuel adulteration and under-dispensing of petroleum products.
“For a long time now, we have observed that there is enough fuel for people to buy as they no longer struggle to buy petroleum products.
“But we still face the challenge of sharp practices from dealers who sell adulterated petroleum products and under-dispense fuel. But our effort so far is helping to solve the problem,” he said.
He however lamented that the DPR enabling Act does not give it the power to arrest and punish offenders, Sofimieari said apart from sealing the premises of errant fuel dealers, “the DPR hands over offenders to the police.
According to him, “The legal aspect is handled by the police and we leave it at that point because the law does not allow us to arrest or take offenders to court. But we make sure that every faulty facility is evacuated from the offender’s premises.
“This is to ensure that he (dealer) does not continue to under-dispense or sell adulterated fuel to unsuspecting customers. When products are adulterated, they damage people’s vehicles.”
Sofimieari noted that apart from inspecting fuel stations, DPR officials had also begun to inspect corporate organisations, making use of fuel to ascertain their level of compliance to minimum safety measures in the storage of fuel.
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