DPR Seals Three Filling Stations In Cross River

A filling station being sealed by DPR

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) on Wednesday, sealed three fuel stations in Cross River State for not accounting for three trucks of fuel.

DPR Operations Controller in the state, Bassey Nkanga, who ordered the closure during a surveillance across the state, said the stations had violated the government’s regulations and directives towards ensuring adequate fuel supply to Nigerians.

He said, “If the supply is consistent within the next few days, there will be no queues again. We are intensifying efforts to ensure that the product is available for all at the government approved pump price.

“We have sealed three fuel stations for not accounting for three trucks of fuel; two were sealed in northern Cross River and one inside Calabar. Since these fuel stations lifted the product from the depot yesterday (Tuesday), some of them are claiming that the trucks broke down on the way.

“We have given them 24 hours to report back to us, and if they fail to do so, we will conclusively deduce that they have diverted the product and we will apply all the sanctions accordingly.

“If any marketer is caught diverting the product, he or she will pay N200,000 on each litre diverted. If it is a whole truck, the marketer will pay like N6 million and if you are caught selling above government price, you will pay N100,000 as fine respectively.”

The sealed stations are Con Oil in Calabar, Dandy Oil in Obudu Local Government Area and Willis Oil along Katsina-Ala road in Ogoja Local Government.

Mr. Nkanga therefore, assured that government was working assiduously to ensure that fuel scarcity crisis is abated and urged members of the public not to engage in panic buying or store the product for safety reason.