Nigeria: Hoarding gas stations punished to give free fuel
Fifteen gas stations, which were caught hoarding petroleum products in the Nigerian state of Akwa Ibom state, were ordered by the country’s Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to dispense fuel free of charge, reported ynajia.com.
The erring gas stations located in Uyo, Eket, Mbo, Oron, Abak, and Ikot Ekpene were also guilty of selling fuel above the government-approved pump price.
“They buy these products at the approved ex-depot price of N77.66 and some lifted from NNPC at the approved price, but turn around and sell at N170 per litres. It is not acceptable; they must sell at the government approved retail price of N87 per litre,” said Asuquo Antai, DPR Operations Controller, Akwa Ibom and Cross River.
In a separate report by the Daily Trust, a gas station in the Kaduna state was also found hoarding 19,500 liters of fuel and selling above the approved pump price. It was closed down and ordered to distribute the hoarded fuel for free to motorists.
Nigeria is currently facing aggravating fuel scarcity causing long queues at gas stations or leaving consumers at the mercy of black marketers’ exorbitant oil prices.
