24 August 2015, Lagos – The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), says it has sanctioned 87 erring marketers over various offences in Lagos and its environs. A statement signed by its management said on Monday in Lagos that 67 retail outlets, operating without storage and sale licences or approval to construct a filling station, were also clamped down from Aug. 3 to date.
“In a routine week-long surveillance operations of retail outlets in the Lagos Zonal operations of the Department of Petroleum Resources, we visited 90 petrol filling stations.
“Some had a number of their pumps sealed off, while others had the entire facility completely shut down as a result of various infractions which ranged from under dispensing of petrol, to illegal operation of a station without a license, and, in some cases, outright abandonment of the facility.
“A lot of the filling stations were found to be selling petrol above the stipulated official pump price of N87.00 and even under dispensing by as much as two litres per every 10 litres. “ In other words, consumers were paying for the equivalent of 10 litres of petrol, while actually being served about eight litres.
“In particular, DPR completely sealed up those stations found to have been operating without a licence and have given them the opportunity to formally apply for a licence as a means to regularise their operations.
The statement said that the inspections of retail outlets of the downstream sector were a routine activity that was carried out daily in order to ensure compliance to basic regulations and the continuous availability of products to consumers at official prices. Tthe Lagos zone operations covers Ogun, Oyo, Ondo, Kwara and Lagos states.
– Vanguard
