In a statement issued in Lagos, Nigeria, on Tuesday, 2nd March 2021, the Director of the Department of Petroleum Resources, Auwalu Sarki, said the Department will not hesitate to apply the appropriate sanctions on marketers that are hoarding petroleum products in their outlets.
The Director said the warning became necessary because of the return of queues to filling stations in some of the states in the country, especially in the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
‘Black marketers’ have been on the streets of Abuja since Monday, 1st March 2021, close to filling stations, holding 10 gallons of fuel and selling at exorbitant prices as the stations are graced with long queues, while some filling stations are not selling.
The Director said that from available records, there is enough product in the country and marketers have no need to hoard products. He advised the general public against panic buying and assured that the DPR will continue to provide its regulatory focus of quality, quantity, integrity and safety for the effective operations of the downstream sector.
Excerpts from the statement: “The DPR will not hesitate to apply appropriate sanctions on any outlet found wanting in this regard.”
“The regulatory agency has set up a special taskforce to intensify surveillance and monitoring of all retail outlets and depots nationwide to check the anomaly.”
