Fuel scarcity: DPR sanctions 58 marketers in Abuja Zone

“In addition to the sanction, some of them have been suspended for one year because they are yet to account for how they dispensed the products.”

The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, says it has so far sanctioned more than 58 marketers for various offences in Abuja and its environs this year.

The Abuja Zonal Controller of DPR, Aliyu Halidu, stated made the disclosure on Wednesday in Abuja while addressing journalists.

The controller, who did not mention the name of marketers affected, said that 55 of them were sanctioned over sharp practices in the sale of kerosene

“We have sanctioned over 55 marketers over kerosene and we have told thePetroleum Pipelines and Marketing Company (PPMC), to charge those sanctioned the commercial value of the products they supposed to bring to Abuja.

“In addition to the sanction, some of them have been suspended for one year because they are yet to account for how they dispensed the products.

“However, if they are able to account for it, then, we will tell NNPC to charge them the commercial value of the products.

‘’This is because the products are not supposed to go to where they will be diverted.’’

Mr. Halidu said that the agency had put on ground a solid surveillance team to monitor the lifting of products from depot to the discharge at various fuel stations in Abuja zone.

He added that the agency monitored the marketers every day to discourage hoarding of products.

“We have the checks and balances to know if the marketers are hoarding or not, and if we catch anyone we report to PPMC.’’

Mr. Halidu said he did not attribute the scarcity of fuel to the delay in the signing of contracts for importation of petroleum products and illegal bunkering as being said in some media.

“To put the record straight, the issue of renewal of contracts for the importation of petroleum was never discussed during the budget defence before the Senate Committee on Petroleum Resources (upstream).

“The issue of bunkering only came up when the Chairman of the Committee (upstream), Senator Emmanuel Paulker, suggested that DPR could collect more revenue.

“He said that such revenue should be done on behalf of the Federal Government, if bunkering was to be resuscitated,” he said.

He said the agency agreed with the chairman and informed the committee that the resuscitation of bunkering was in progress.

“For avoidance of doubt, PMS otherwise known as petrol is not a bunkering fuel.”

He said that the issue of subsidy was never discussed before the committee at the budget defence and wondered where the report emanated from.