The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), in Akwa Ibom, says it has dispensed free fuel to motorists and motorcyclists in 15 filling stations in Akwa Ibom.
The Operations Controller, Akwa Ibom and Cross River, Asuquo Antai, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eket, Akwa Ibom on Wednesday, that erring stations were forced to distribute their products for hoarding and selling above government approved pump price of N87 per litre.
It would be recalled that the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Ibeh Kachikwu, had instructed DPR to freely distribute petrol of any filling station involved in hoarding to customers.
According to Mr. Antai, some of the erring retail outlets were caught by the surveillance team of the DPR at Uyo, Eket, Mbo, Oron, Abak and Ikot Ekpene axis of the state.
“They buy these products at the approved ex-depot price of N77.66 and some lifted from NNPC at the approved price, but turn around and sell at N170 per litres.
“It is not acceptable; they must sell at the government approved retail price of N87 per litre,’’ he said.
He noted that the department had commenced continuous surveillance, saying that DPR would continue to force marketers to sell at the approved price.
Mr. Antai decried the “selfish nature” of marketers who inflate the price of fuel, to maximise profit.
He lamented that some marketers did not get direct supply of petrol from the depot, but bought from spot markets which might result to the increase in pump price of the product.
He said DPR had come out with stringent regulatory measures at the depot to ensure that the products were sold only to licensed marketers at the ex-depot price of N77.66.
“We are at the depot to ensure compliance to these new directives and new measures put on ground to actually address these gaps that have affected the system.
“We also observed that a lot of vessels are bringing in products in Calabar depot.
“We are expecting about 50 to 60 million litres in the next three days into Calabar depot,’’ he said.
According to him, if marketers will spread their reach, the cost of petrol will generally drop and change drastically in the next three days in retail outlets in the states.
