Modupe Gbadeyanka
By Modupe Gbadeyanka
In the past few days, there have been speculations that the price of Petrol Motor Spirit (PMS) commonly known as petrol would go up.
This has created fears among Nigerians, who are still battling with the high cost commodities in the market due to the country being in recession.
But the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Niger State has assured that the price of petrol will not be hiked as being feared.
The agency said it has straightened surveillance on petroleum marketers to checkmate sales of the product above the regulated price of N145 per litre.
Engineer Abdullahi Isah, Operations Controller DPR in the state made this known on Saturday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Minna.
Mr Isah explained that the Federal Government has no plan to increase or reduce the current price of PMS.
“It is true that when you go round Niger state especially this week you will see pockets of queue at filling stations.
“These queues can be attributed to the delay faced by the marketers before they get their products at the depots,” he said.
“Our routine check is to ensure that the marketers of petroleum products do the right thing.
“It is now a continuous process to make sure those buying petrol out there get the right quantity and quality that is commensurate to their money.
“We will not stop checking on them as long as the petroleum products are being distributed to our people, the public must be protected,” he said further.
According to him, four filling stations in Minna and Kontagora, have been sanctioned by the department for adjusting their metres above the official rate and hoarding the product to extort money from unsuspecting buyers.
“This week, we have been out to Minna and Kontagora, where some petrol stations were sealed for adjusting their retail metres above the official rate and hoarding the product.
“We also compelled other defaulting filling stations to pay necessary fines and revert to the normal pump price of N145 per litre immediately.”
He enjoined the media and the public to collaborate with the DPR in getting rid-off unwholesome practices among marketers by reporting such to the department.
