By Omotayo Edubi
Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has threatened to sanction fuel stations selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) above the official pump price of N162 per litre in Oyo State.
The Oyo Commandant, Adarelewa Akintayo, who disclosed this in Ibadan on Saturday, said the Anti-Vandalism Squad of the agency would be deployed to keep an eye on the fuel situation in the state.
Akintayo expressed that he’s working with members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in the state against selling above official pump price and indirectly stealing, saying the agency would not hesitate to seal any station caught for dispensing the petroleum products above N162.
According to the commandant of NSCDC in the state, the action was in line with directive of the Commandant General of the agency, Dr. Ahmed Audi, to all state commandants “to deploy personnel, mostly Anti-Vandalism Squad to filling stations to maintain orderliness, monitor compliance with government approved rates as well as stop visible and perceived sharp practices observed during supervision and monitoring of filling stations.”
The warning came as residents of the state have been having gruelling experience in getting fuel. The story has always been that of long queues at the outlets of major marketers that have been selling at N162 per litre. But major marketers have stopped selling into kegs, unless buyers come with the tanks of their generators, to prevent those that have been buying at N162 and would proceed to sell in the black market for N250 or N300.
But some Independent marketers have been selling the PMS between N200 and N250 per litre. The situation has led to about 100 per cent increase in transport fare. A bag of sachet water has also gone up to N250 in some places.
Akintayo, however, called on the public to supply the command with credible information on marketers that have been selling PMS above the official pump price and those that have been hoarding the commodity. He also enjoined the public to support the agency with credible information to tackle crime and criminalities in the state.
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