BY OMOS OYIBODE, ASABA
The Delta State Government has threatened to clamp down on filling stations in the state that are still involved in any form of illegality, particularly and in relation to pump price and under dispensing of products.
The State Commissioner for Commerce and Industry, Dr. Chris Ekiyor, handed down the warning recenlty in Asaba when he led a team of officials in the Ministry to monitor compliance to the Federal Government approved pump price of N87 per litre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise known as petrol.
Although almost all the filling stations visited have adjusted their metres to reflect the current PMS Pump Price regime, the commissioner expressed shock when it was discovered that all the filling stations visited were under dispensing their products.
The filling stations which are currently under the bad book of the state government in relation to the illegal activity include the NNPC Mega Station, Total Filling stations, Rain Oil, as well as other filling stations in the state.
In each of the filling stations visited, it was observed that for a five litre petrol, operators of the filling stations were dispensing between 3.8 to 4.2, a situation the commissioner described as criminal, corrupt and unacceptable.
Given the development, the state government has given operators of the various filling stations in the state one week ultimatum to adjust their meters to the correct gauge or risk heavy showdown from the state government.
While saying that the measure would cut across the 25 local government areas of the state, Ekiyor noted that a special task force team would be inaugurated to enforce sustained compliance as, according to him, the team would ensure daily monitoring of filling stations in the state.
His words, “basically, from what we have seen today, there is no sign of compliance with the federal government’s reduction of the pump price of Fuel from N97 to N87 as all the filling stations are marred with issue of sharp practices.
“From all the filling stations, whether NNPC, Total, among others, they have all deliberately adjusted their metres at the detriment of the common man in the state. It is done in such a way that unsuspecting end-users pay more for fewer products, and I tell you, this is unacceptable in this state.
“Petroleum Marketers in the State should be ready for a showdown because we are going to work directly with the DPR to ensure that those who are still involved in these sharp practices would have their filling stations sealed up.
“We cannot continue to blame government for everything. We keep shouting about corruption at the high places whereas the common man is even unfair to others. We will for this purpose set up a special task force team that will continue on daily basis in monitoring these filling stations” Ekiyor stated.
