12 Stations locked up by DPR for “using the heads of customers”

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Kogi State on Friday sealed off no fewer 12 filling stations in Lokoja, the Kogi state capital for under dispensing premium motor spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol, to unsuspecting customers.

The DPR which was on routine surveillance uncovered shady dealings of most of the petroleum marketers whose filling stations were visited in the state capital as their meters were found to have been adjusted to dispense the commodity less of the meter reading thereby shortchanging unsuspecting customers that patronised them.

DPR's State Controller, Engr. Amos Jokodola, who led the surveillance team said the aim of the exercise was to ensure that licensed filling stations in the state sell fuel at the "correct quantity and quality" to members of the public.

"I am not satisfied with today's exercise because majority of the stations failed.”They were under dispensing to the public and they are going to pay the penalty and we will force them to comply with selling the correct quantity.

"The pumps that were found to be under delivering would have to be rectified by the company's technicians and ensure that they deliver 10 liters for 10 liters."

He said that the defaulting filling stations would pay penalty of N100, 000 per pump to serve as deterrence to others.

"After the payment our engineers would go back again and measure to ensure the pumps are delivering 10 liters for 10 liters before such marketers are allowed to resume sales of such products to the general public.

He said that the DPR surveillance teams would continue to monitor the activities of fuel marketers across the state to ensure customers are not shortchanged by unscrupulous fuel marketers.

On the supply of fuel to the state, Jokodola described it as "satisfactory", adding the state has been getting enough supplies of the product.

He advised members of the public to report any marketer selling above the official pump price to DPR for appropriate actions to be taken.

"We are not going to allow the marketers to cheat the public and some of them are saboteurs, it is our statutory responsibility for us to monitor these licensed outfits to make sure they comply with the conditions under which they were licensed."

Amongst the filling stations sealed by the DPR include NNPC filling stations located at Phase 1 and  Gadumo areas of Lokoja.

Also sealed was Dokkailiru filling station at the Ganaja junction which was found to be shortchanging customers almost 2 litters for every 10 liters sale.

 Others are Yisab oil and gas, DIATTO filling Station at Ganaja junction, Heroes oil limited at Zone 8 round about, Abiodun & Associate at phase1, Royal Confluence Oil and Gas as well as NMPC station.