The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Osogbo Field Office, has assured residents of the state of adequate supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), also known as petrol, during and after the yuletide season.
DPR’s Operations Controller in Osun, Mr Ademola Makinde, gave the assurance in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Osogbo on Monday.
Makinde said that the department would ensure that there would be no scarcity of the product in the state.
According to him, since the Nigerian National Corporation (NNPC), which is the major supplier of PMS, has assured of adequate supply, the DPR as the regulator will ensure proper distribution of the product in the state.
The controller arned Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) members against fuel hoarding and diversion in the state.
Makinde said that any filling station discovered to be hoarding or diverting the product would also be penalised in line with the laws and operational guidelines.
He said the department had constituted effective monitoring teams to ensure that filling stations sell at the official price and did not adjust or hoard the product.
Makinde said the DPR would continue to engage and educate independent marketers on the need to conform to the laws and operational guidelines.
“You know the year is winding up gradually and many of our independent marketers are in the habit of hoarding fuel to create artificial scarcity, while some sell above the regulated price.
“This time around, any filing station caught in that act will not be spared and that is why we are appealing to them not to engage in such activities because our surveillance team will be up and doing,” he said.
The controller also warned residents against keeping petrol at home, saying such act was capable of causing fire outbreak.
Makinde said since there was no scarcity of fuel, people did not have any reason to keep fuel at home, especially as the drying season had commenced.
He said the safety of the end users of the product was paramount to the department.
