DPR seals 43 filling stations in Akwa Ibom, Cross River

The Department of Petroleum Resources in charge of Akwa Ibom and Cross River States has sealed 43 filling stations in the two states for engaging in illegalities.
Bassey Nkanga, DPR’s Controller of Operations for the states, disclosed this at a meeting with the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria in Calabar, the Cross River State capital, on Wednesday.
According to Nkanga, the affected filling stations were sealed between December 2015 and January 2016.
He said some of the filling stations sealed would pay N1 million fine for the offence.
He said: “They have not found it necessary to come and clear with the DPR, but the marketers were selling fuel with DPR seal order.
“If there are three seals on three of your pumps and you remove the three seals and cannot account for them, you will pay N1 million each for the seals.”
Nkanga warned independent marketers not to violate DPR seal because the penalty regime for such violation was huge.
Nkanga observed that filling stations in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States were yet to comply with the government approved pump price of N86.50 per litre of petrol.
He restated the Federal Government had constituted a team to monitor activities in the petroleum downstream in the two states.
He appealed to IPMAN members to comply with Federal Government’s new pump price, adding that the change mantra of President Muhammadu Buhari was real.
Nkanga explained that one of the policies of government was to correct so many wrong things in the petroleum sector.
He said: “This is why I have come to dialogue with you.
“IPMAN plays a highly significant role in this industry.
“It is through IPMAN the public gets petroleum products.
“I want to appeal to you that the rule set by the government is not so terrible, but it will become terrible if you fail to abide by this rules.
“Government has come out with policies that will not favour marketers that err or go against government rules.
“Government is also looking at some challenges you face.
“It is working positively to ensure that those challenges are surmounted.”
Reacting, Robert Obi, IPMAN Chairman in Calabar, alleged that DPR allowed filling stations to operate without valid storage and sales licence in the two states.
Obi said: “DPR should be held responsible for lapses.
“It is the responsibility of DPR to put a halt to the mess.
“It should live up to its responsibility.”