Fuel: DPR Begins Monitoring, Shut 5 Filling Stations In Aba Ahead Of Yuletide

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has intensified its petroleum products monitoring and surveillance activities towards ensuring a hitch free Christmas and New Year celebrations in Abuja and environs. The DPR Zonal Operations Controller, Abuja, Engr. Buba Abubakar in a statement on Wednesday charged the general public to avoid panic buying and go about their normal businesses.

He said the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has assured the nation of availability of petroleum products that can sustain the nation throughout the yuletide and beyond.

Economic Confidential reports that the DPR had in August heightened surveillance activities on petrol stations aimed at forestalling likely ember-month fuel challenges nationwide. Meanwhile, the DPR has sealed five underperforming filling stations in Aba, Abia State. The filling stations were sealed when officials of the DPR embarked on a monitoring of petrol stations in the commercial city of Aba.

A statement from the DPR office said that among the sealed stations was Bonimas Petroleum which was sealed for under-dispensing, and Cozy Energy which was sealed for operating without a DPR approved licence. Others were Ukoromi Oil, sealed for continued use of expired licence, Slok Petroleum sealed for poor safety standards and lack of operating licence and GG Oil sealed for under-dispensing absence of security gadget and lack of operating licence.

DPR operations Controller, Mr Austin Iheji said the DPR was embarking on the exercise as part of efforts give Nigerians value for their money by ensuring accurate dispensing of petroleum products during the yuletide.

Iheji commended petroleum marketers for their good level of compliance, adding that the sealed stations would quickly be unsealed whenever the anomalies detected were corrected.