FG Shuts Ascon, Integrated, Mobil, Oando, Sahara, Others Over Oil Scam

President Muhammadu Buhari’s zero tolerance for corruption is already making impact in the oil sector. This is as the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has started to fish out culpable oil companies. In the past few days, the agency shut facilities belonging to six major depot owners in Apapa Lagos.

They were found guilty of flagrantly disregarding the government directive that the depot price of petrol should not be above N77.66 per litre. The depots closed by the agency, according to New Telegraph, are AA Rano, Ascon, Obat, Integrated Oil, Sahara Energy and Swift Oil.

DPR, it was gathered, held separate meetings with the affected companies over the issue with no positive result. A source told the newspaper that “Efforts by the government to ensure that the fuel is sold at N87 per litre to Nigerians at the filling stations could not yield the desired results because depots are sabotaging these efforts by selling the products to filling stations above the ex-depot price of N77. 66 per litre, and still claim subsidy payment.

“This action has made their counterparts to begin to display their prices using various outdoor media”. He added that complaints by some Nigerians that they buy the product above N87 per litre “will soon be a thing of the past.”

Meanwhile, DPR has threatened to withdraw their licences for violating the pricing template and guidelines of the Petroleum Products Pricing Regulating Agency (PPPRA). On Sunday, the DPR announced the sealing of 12 filling stations in Abuja for profiteering and selling above government approved prices.

A statement by Mohammed Usman, the DPR Zonal Operations Controller, said in Abuja on Sunday that the 12 stations had brought to 34 the number of filling stations sealed by the DPR in Abuja and environs.

It said that surveillance was carried out by four teams covering Abuja and its environs. “A total of 46 filling stations were visited and the exercise indicated availability of PMS in the stations with some queues observed”, it disclosed.

The statement named the stations as Harry Pet filling station in Gwagwalada for selling PMS at N110; Drison Oil filling station at Giri for selling PMS at N100 and Ohinoyi Oil in Kwali for under dispensing with -3770 mls. Also sealed were Gausiya filling station at Giri where one pump was sealed for under-dispensing with -740 mls; Adelhi Ltd filling station at Masaka for selling PMS at N105 and Hariz Pet at Masaka sealed for selling PMS at N110.

Oando Plc at Maraba Aso was sealed for suspected diversion of PMS (45,000 litres), Mobil New Nyanya had one pump sealed for under-dispensing with -730 mls and Badeggi Petrol station at Dikko Junction sealed for selling PMS at N110.

Others were Edewa Ltd at Kwamba Suleja sealed for selling PMS at N105, Shemaco filling station, Kwamba Suleja was sealed for selling PMS at N97 and Dee Jones, Kwamba, Suleja was sealed for selling PMS at N105 and under dispensing with -420 mls. The statement noted that the affected stations were to remain sealed for at least one month as well as forfeiting their bridging claims for the products in question.

Earlier in July, the DPR shut 23 private petroleum products depots across the country also for selling PMS N77.66 per litre. A statement issued by DPR Director, Mr Mordecai Ladan, in Abuja noted that the depots were mainly in Lagos except for two in Warri, Delta, and three in Calabar.

The clampdown on the private depots followed the report of a special investigation team set up by DPR to uncover some unwholesome practices by the private petroleum products depots.
Source; dailypost.ng

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