By Adedapo Adesanya
As Nigerians continue to feel the biting fuel scarcity across the country, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has warned petroleum marketers against hoarding the products.
Across the country, petrol queues have emerged with prices above N800 due to the unavailability of the product.
The agency also warned residents against panic buying, hoarding and storing of petroleum products at home.
Mr Adekunle Adeyemo, the Osun State Coordinator of NMDPRA, gave the warning while speaking with journalists on Monday in Osogbo, noting that the surveillance team of the agency would be all out to ensure that no filling stations hoard the product.
He said that any marketer caught hoarding the fuel or engaging in any form of sharp practices would be dealt with in accordance with the dictates of the law.
Mr Adeyemo promised that the organisation would intensify its monitoring and surveillance of outlets in line with its regulatory mandate to ensure compliance with quality, quantity and safety of operations.
According to him, the government is doing everything possible to ensure adequate availability of the product, and it will be unfair for independent marketers who have the product in stock to be hoarding it.
“We want to appeal to independent marketers who have petroleum products in stock to stop hoarding.
“It will be inhuman for those who have the product to be hoarding and inflating the pump price.
“The surveillance team of the agency is already out to ensure that those who have the product are dispensing it to motorists at a reasonable price.
“However, any filling station caught hoarding the product with the view of inflicting pain on the masses will not be spared.
“Yes, there might be a little challenge in the supply process, but relevant government agencies are doing everything possible to ensure that the situation is normalised.
“We will not fold our hands while some few individuals will inflicting undue pain on the residents of the state by hoarding the products,’’ he said.
Mr Adeyemo appealed to petroleum marketers to always adhere strictly to standard safety practices in their filling stations.
He warned that any marketer that violates the standard procedure would be dealt with according to the law.
Mr Adeyemo also appealed to consumers to report sharp practices such as under-dispensing, to the agency for appropriate action.
The NMDPRA boss also warned against storing petroleum products at homes, adding that such can cause a fire outbreak.
He said that people needed to be very careful with how they handle petroleum products.
“Storing petroleum products at home can result in a fire outbreak, which can lead to the destruction of lives and property.
“We have to be wise, there’s no reason for panic buying or hoarding of the product because the government is doing everything possible towards the adequate supply of the product,’’ he said.
Modupe Gbadeyanka