DPR seals 6 filling stations in Enugu

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Enugu has sealed six fuel stations for selling petrol above the new pump price of N67 per litre. Peter Ijeh, corporate services manager of the department in Enugu, said on Monday that the stations on Friday sold the product at N100 as against the N87 per a liter approved by the Federal Government. “These filling stations will remain closed for 90 days and pay a fine of N100,000 for failure to comply with the directive. This will serve as a warning and a deterrent to all those that are still selling above the approved price. “They had better reduce the price to the official pump price and ensure that their meters are not tampered with to short-change the consumers,’’ he said. Reacting to the development, the vice chairman of Tricycle Riders Association in the coal city, Elias Igwe, commended the department for enforcing the sale of petrol at the approved rate, adding that the marketers had remained adamant over the issue. He expressed happiness with the Federal Government for the reduction, saying it would reduce the amount they spent on petrol. “We have N50 as our fixed fare per head per drop, so this reduction will leave us with more profit compared to the time we bought at N100 or N110 per litre,’’ he said. Igwe called on the government to also check their pumps regularly because the independent marketers were used to adjusting their meters at a time like this.