Fuel crisis : Govt outlaws ‘black markets’

By Yemie Adeoye

LAGOS—The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, has declared the selling of petroleum products at undesignated places (black market) as illegal.

DPR’s action, it was learnt, is aimed at stopping the sale of the products at deregulated prices across the country.

This also technically applies to filling stations that sell above government approved prices.

Vanguard observed that motorists and other customers are paying as high as N120 per litre of petrol at the so-called black market and at major petrol stations.

In most of the stations, motorists are forced to bribe with N200 before they are allowed into the station if they will buy at regulated price.

Sale of petrol in jerry can banned
Also outlawed is the sale of the products in jerry can at  petrol stations.

The DPR’s helmsman, Mr. Billy Agha, at an emergency briefing yesterday, said the organisation had asked the police to take action against petrol stations selling above the regulated prices.

He also advised Nigerians to refuse to buy above regulated pump price.

According to him, the department has commenced a 24-hour surveillance of all petrol stations across the country with command centres springing up in Lagos, Abuja, Port Harcourt, Warri, Owerri, Calabar, Kaduna, and Maiduguri.

Appeal to marketers

He also appealed to major and independent marketers to cooperate with the government and DPR in ameliorating the fuel crisis.

“The dealers at the filling stations are not to sell petroleum products in jerry-cans and are to deploy all available pumps to dispense any available fuel in their stations.  The Nigerian Police are to assist in arresting and prosecuting any individual selling petrol at the wayside or street as such premises are not licensed for that purpose.

‘’It is in view of this that DPR is hereby directing that the selling of petrol in Jerry-cans at filling station is now prohibited.  Any station found profiteering or selling in jerry-cans or taking advantage of the public will be sanctioned, and any available petrol in the system should be sold at filling stations.”