Fuel hoarding: Minister directs DPR to sanction erring marketers

Normalcy has returned to many filling stations in Lagos metropolis Wednesday as motorists drove into many stations and bought fuel with ease. This was in contrast with motorists’ experience last Tuesday when there were long queues at filling stations.

The relative ease with which motorists are buying fuel is informed by a stern directive allegedly given to the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) by Diezani Alison- Madueke, minister of Petroleum Resources to sanction any marketers found hoarding fuel. Filling stations along Ikorodu road, Gbagada, Maryland and Alapere were on Wednesday free of the clusters as witnessed on the previous day as motorists now buy fuel without any hitches

. It was also gathered that many tankers loaded with PMS on Tuesday from the various depots in Lagos have started wetting filling stations. This action by motorists was necessitated by the fear of a possible fuel scarcity during election and the need for them to stockpile fuel to obviate any temporary challenges that may occur.

Meanwhile the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has cautioned members of the public to shun panic buying and stock-piling of petrol as there is enough stock of the product to keep the country wet for two months.