The Nation Newspaper

Tag: filling stations

  • DPR shuts two filling stations

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) at the weekend in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital, shut two petrol stations for allegedly adjusting their pump prices to cheat the public.

    The stations are NIPCO on Ajase-Ipo Road and Success on New Yidi Road.

    It was learnt that the filling stations adjusted their metres upward, thereby cheating customers.

    Instead of 10 litres of fuel as displayed on the pumping machine, the agency discovered that the stations sold 8.7 litres.

    Members of the DPR task force, who were monitoring activities at filling stations, discovered the fraud and shut the stations.

    The team summoned the management of the stations to appear before it and explain the alleged sharp practice.

    The task force warned three stations in the metropolis to adhere to the rules and regulations of the department or face sanctions.

    The Operation Controller of the state DPR, Mr. Amos Jokodola, an engineer, who spoke on the development, said the agency would not hesitate to close down any station found to be cheating buyers.

    Represented by the acting Deputy Manager, Retails Outlets, Mr. Ishola Joshua, the controller warned filling stations selling fuel at N100 per litre to desist.

    He said the department would continue to monitor the activities of the stations to ensure compliance.

  • Govt clamps down on erring filling stations in Abuja, Ogun

    There seemed to be no end in sight to the lingering nationwide fuel scarcity yesterday.
    But the hammer fell on some filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and Ogun State, where attendants sold products above the N87 pump price. The stations were shut.
    In Abuja, queues of vehicles that kept vigil at filling stations in anticipation of getting fuel in the wee hour, created traffic jams on major streets and highways.
    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Super Mega Station which dispensed fuel, had two queues stretching beyond five kilometres away from the selling point.  They blocked the service lane of the Kubwa Expressway.
    Another NNPC Mega Station, on Olusegun Obasanjo Way, had a queue that crippled traffic on the dual carriage way.
    Those who hawk fuel in plastic containers sold 10 litres for between N2, 000 and N2, 200 to desperate motorists.
    Others patronised filling stations on the outskirts of the city including Masaka, in Nasarawa State and Kaduna road, where the product was sold for as high as N140 per litre.
    Some commuters, who were stranded for hours at bus stops, returned home as commercial vehicles deserted the roads.
    In Ogun, the government sealed a privately-run filling station in Olomoore, Abeokuta, the state capital, for selling adulterated fuel.
    The state had discovered through its Ministry of Commerce & Industry that the station was selling adulterated product to unsuspecting custormers.
    It also clamped down on filling stations selling above the official N87 lump price.
    The ministry’s Task Force on Enforcement and Compliance unit stormed the filling station following complaints by a victim who bought adulterated product. The victim alleged that the product damaged the engine of his truck.
    The station manager was arrested by the police attached to the task force for further interrogation.
    Others stations that were forced to bring the pump price for between N140 and N150 to the approved pump price, reverted to the illegal price  immediately the task force team left.

     

  • Queues persist at filling stations as fuel scarcity enters second week

    Queues persist at filling stations as fuel scarcity enters second week

    • Nigerians groan     •Fares skyrocket      •Commuters stranded at bus stops

    Innocent Duru, Hannah Ojo,  Sikiru Akinola, Ibadan and  Odunayo Ogunmola, Ado-Ekiti

    Hope that the lingering fuel scarcity would improve after the Major Oil Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) promised to resume the lifting of the product penultimate Friday was dashed as the challenge failed to abate during the week nationwide.

    Contrary to the Executive Secretary, Mr. Femi Olawore’s assurance that filling stations would begin to receive supply the same day, many filling stations visited by The Nation during the week were not selling fuel. The attendants said they were yet to get supplies.

    Motorists flocked to the few filling stations that had the product and selling to members of the public. The unusual long queues at some of the filling stations stretched to major roads in some areas, causing traffic  gridlock and untold pains for the people.

    Consequently, economic and social activities, which were crippled last week,  further suffered a serious setback across the country, as the scarcity entered the second week yesterday.

    Residents of Lagos State who spoke with The Nation lamented that the development robbed them of their productive time and resources as they have either been sleeping at filling stations to get the product or paying exorbitant fares to get to their destinations. A number of commuters lamented that they could not attend to their businesses because they were forced to return to their houses after being stranded for several hours.

    Narrating his ordeal, a commercial driver who identified himself as Bode Taiwo, said: ” I spent two days queuing at a petrol station before I could get petrol. When I eventually got, I paid the sum of N200 for a litre. It is not possible for me to charge the fare I used to charge before because it would be tantamount to laboring in vain.

    Mauroof Olashebe, another commercial driver, lamented that he has been idle for the good part of the week, adding:  “Our buses are lying idle  because there is no fuel. We have wives and children at home, so staying in business is critical to our survival. We can’t put water into our vehicles and expect them to run on the roads. Government should please come to our plight. I don’t buy at the black market, so I have not been working since the scarcity started.”

    A commuter, who simply identified herself as Bisade, said: “ I am going back to my house. I have stood at the bus stop for several hours without getting a bus. The fares charged by the few ones that have passed are too high for me. If I pay such, how sure am I that I would make enough sales to get enough money to return home. I feel it is better to go back home because  the fuel scarcity would even aggravate the lull in business activities.”

    Mike Adiaga, a security man at one of the filling stations visited by our correspondent, lamented that his means of livelihood had been under serious threat since the fuel scarcity began.

    “As I am talking to you now, I don’t have a dime on me. I have not eaten today and I don’t know what I will take home to my wife and children because I am paid on daily basis and since they have not been selling fuel for sometime now, that means no money for me. Yesterday, I went for a vigil and was almost stranded with my wife and children because fares had increased.   My generator is on vacation for now.”

    A manager in one of the petrol stations visited by The Nation absolved filling station owners of any blame for the scarcity, saying: “ The scarcity has nothing to do with hoarding. No filling station will risk hoarding fuel because of its attendant consequences. The price we buy determines the price we sell to consumers. Mind you, we are also consumers because when we don’t have, we also go to other filling stations or black markets to buy.”

    Major roads in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital, were deserted during the week as a result of the scarcity.

    A few commercial vehicles were seen plying the roads with most of them queuing at filling stations, hoping that they would get the product to buy at the end of the day.

    The Nation learnt that most filling stations had the product, but were not selling it to the people, citing the strike action embarked upon by petroleum workers.

    Also, prices of goods and services continued to soar  in the state after commercial drivers arbitrarily  hiked fares by 100 per cent. A trip from  Ojoo to the Iwo Road which used to be N50 has been jerked up to N100.The story was the same at Mokola, Ojoo, Bodija, Challenge and other areas of the state capital.

    Residents of  Ado-Ekiti and neighbouring towns in Ekiti State were not left out of the gale of  frustration caused by the scarcity.

    They alleged that the lingering scarcity started gradually last weekend, but worsened on Monday when the majority of the filling stations refused to openly sell the commodity to members of the public.

    Queues formed at petrol stations in some major roads in Ado-Ekiti  resulted in gridlock that locked up the entire area, causing motorists and commuters to spend the good part of their time on the road.

    Some of the motorists told The Nation that they had been sleeping at filling stations in order to get the product.

    Most of the filling stations visited by The Nation in Ado-Ekiti and  Ikere-Ekiti were selling the product between N110 to N130 per litre.

    Some of the motorists, who spoke with The Nation, condemned the situation which some of them alleged is a plot to frustrate the change of government on May 29.

    A motorist, Paul Aribatise, accused marketers of deliberately hoarding fuel in anticipation of an increase in pump price by the incoming administration.

    “I have been on queue here for the past six hours. I used to buy fuel at NNPC mega stations, but had to come here because they were not selling at the moment.

    I think they are hoarding the product ahead of the handover of government to Buhari on May 29, but this is very unfortunate. I don’t know why we always make life difficult for ourselves in Nigeria, and this is a big challenge to the in coming government,” Aribatise said.

    Another motorist, Segun Agbede, wondered what agencies like the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and Petroleum Products Consumers Protection Agency (PPCPA) charged with the responsibility of ensuring compliance are doing.

    He said: “It is only in Nigeria that this nonsense can be condoned.  There are statutory agencies in place to save consumers from all this exploitation. What are they doing? They are sleeping because if they are alive to their responsibilities, this latest scarcity should not have happened.”

  • More gas filling stations coming

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) will provide more outlets that will sell Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) to users of cars that run on such gas, the Group Executive Director, Gas & Power, NNPC, Dr. David Ige, has said.

    At a stakeholders’forum in Lagos, Ige said the development became necessary to enable users get the product to fuel cars.

    He said a pilot scheme on the use of compressed natural gas for cars was initiated in Benin City, the Edo State capital by NNPC, adding that the scheme was a success.

    He said: “About Compressed Natural Gas for cars, let me give you a brief analysis of what NNPC has done.  The Corporation started a pilot project in Benin City and it was successful.  There are six gas filling stations in Benin City. There are over 4,000 cars running on natural gas in Benin. It is possible to drive a vehicle from Benin to Lagos on gas. NNPC would replicate this in other parts of the country soon. We would make sure that we make progress in that direction.”

    Ige said a new gas station was opened on the Lagos-Ibadan Expressway to enable people buy gas for their cars.  He said there was low awareness on compressed natural gas, promising that NNPC would do something on it. “It is quite unfortunate that many people do not know that there are cars that use natural gas in the country,” he added.

    He said the government is committed to the development of the nation’s gas industry, adding that more people  would  access  gas for their cars soon.

    According to him, efforts are being made to ensure that people use gas for socio-economic activities, noting that Nigeria has gas that is enough to met the growing needs of the populace.

     

  • Ogun insists on stopping new filling stations

    The Ogun State Government has said the suspension placed on construction of new filling stations across the state is still in force.

    Commissioner for Urban and Physical Planning, Mr. Gbenga Otenuga, who made the clarification in Abeokuta in a chat, said the ban has not been lifted.

    He warned that thhe government would not hesitate to demolish any filling station under construction in violation of its ban.

    The commissioner explained that the government took the decision when it discovered that some people were flouting its order.

    According to Otenuga, the order will remain in force till when the government comes out with a master plan.

    He said the master plan will, among others, spell out in clear terms the requirements for establishing fuel stations in accordance with the state’s town planning laws.

    “The master plan will help in determining conducive locations, development and spatial distribution of filling stations in the state so that it can fall in line with the Ogun State standard,” Otenuga said.

    The commissioner said regardless of the desire of the government to enhance socio-economic development and encourage development, extant laws on physical development should not be trampled upon to prevent haphazardous growth that might lead to slums later.

    He urged members of the public interested in physical development to always follow due process by visiting the nearest town planning office to ascertain the status of the land on which they want to build and obtain necessary documents as demanded by the law.

    “We are appealing to developers to follow the laws and regulations and ensure that they obtain building plan approval for whatever development they want to carry out in the state, this is imperative to prevent demolition, much as we want development, government will not condone lawlessness,” Otenuga said

  • DPR warns marketers on illegal construction of filling stations

    DPR warns marketers on illegal construction of filling stations

    The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has warned oil marketers on the construction of filling stations without its approval.

    The DPR Director, Osten Olurunsola gave this warning at the 2012 major and independent marketers meeting held in Lagos. He decried the rising issue of marketers building new filling stations without seeking the statutory approval from the regulator.

    Olorunsola, who spoke through Mr Lanre Buraimoh, DPR’s Assistant Director, Product Depot and Jetty, said: “The past year witnessed an upsurge in the number of marketers who began construction of filling stations with an ‘Approval to Construct,’ and then later applied for a waiver from the Department. This is an outright violation of the laws governing the construction of filling stations, and an appropriate penalty will soon be in place for this.”

    He told the marketers that the construction of filling stations and fabrication of underground tanks should be undertaken only by DPR accredited consultant. Likewise all oil and gas equipment suppliers must be accredited by DPR, he added.

    He drew the attention of the marketers to strict compliance with oil and gas industry standards as practised worldwide.

    On ensuring further application of global standards in local operations, Olorunsola said the Department is in advanced stages for the implementation of the Trucking Policy, which is envisaged to enhance tanker trucks usage and institute orderliness in trucking activities at the depots. The policy will also minimise pipeline vandalism, check diversion, theft and adulteration of petroleum products, and enhance road users’ safety, amongst others.

    On the current fuel scarcity, the DPR chief said that fuel distribution has remained stable until recently when reduction in supply has been noticed probably as a result of outstanding subsidy payments to the marketers and vandalism of distribution facilities as witnessed recently at Arepo. He said that the government is making concerted effort to ensure the availability of petroleum products.

    He also appealed to the marketers to step up product supply, especially as the festive periods approach. “We are approaching the end of year with the expected usual surge in social and festive activities. The attendant elevated quest for consumption of petroleum products cannot be over-emphasised. We wish to encourage marketers to ensure product availability to the public at this critical period. Marketers are strongly advised not to engage in acts that may lead to creation of products scarcity, and other associated ills such as hoarding and product diversion for profiteering, he said.

    DPR Operations Controller Mr Gbenga Koku corroborated Olorunsola, urging the marketers to conduct their operations within the provisions of petroleum laws and regulations, adding that a lot of challenges still lie ahead towards transforming and repositioning the downstream sector for sustainable economic development.

    He said: “We will continue to monitor licensed outlets, and hand over the illegal operators to the police. We will not licence retail outlets constructed without recourse to petroleum regulations.”

  • Scarcity bites harder as filling stations go dry in Lagos

    Scarcity bites harder as filling stations go dry in Lagos

    Fuel supply situation in Lagos got worse yesterday with more filling stations closing shop to business. There were long queues that caused traffic jam at the few ones that solid product.

    Some motorists who spoke to The Nation said they had to leave their private vehicles behind and commuted to their offices and business premises in public transport.

    Apart from the distribution constraints being experienced as a result of the Arepo fire incident which affected a major supply line, the fuel scarcity situation, it was learnt, is made worse by the refusal of oil marketers to resume importation because the Federal Government owes them N200 billion in unpaid subsidy that accrued from fuel imported since last year under the Petroleum Subsidy Fund (PSF) scheme.

    Our correspondent also gathered that members of the various oil marketing groups including the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA), Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), and Jetties and Petroleum Tank Farms Owners of Nigeria (JEPTFON) have refused to import in fuel  despite the truce it reached with the Federal Government last month after they threatened to go on strike over non-payment of their outstanding subsidy debt.

    The oil marketers said the government owed them N200 billion since last year, which is threatening their business and forcing them to cut down their workforce. The group had last month given the government seven days to pay up or face nationwide strike. The government quickly entered into dialogue with them and made a part payment of about N42 billion but it was gathered that government’s efforts didn’t pacify them and they continued to boycott importation.

    Executive Secretary of JEPTFON Enoch Kanawa, told The Nation that it doesn’t make sense to continue importing and doing business at a loss. He said business is currently so bad that some member-companies are working on their human resources to see how to reduce their workforce. He said interest on loans from banks continue to pile up, payment of staff is becoming very challenging as well as maintenance of the depots.

    The oil marketing groups said they control 90 per cent of functional facilities and market share of the downstream sector of the petroleum industry and the loans they got from banks attract interest charge of N3.7 billion per month.

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in a statement said it has taken measures to end the scarcity being witnessed in Lagos and some parts of the country.

    The Acting Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the Corporation, Mr. Fidel Pepple, said the fuel shortage is due to the shutdown of system 2b, a major pipeline that evacuates between nine to eleven million litres of fuel from Lagos to Ibadan, Ilorin and the north due to serious vandalism by oil thieves a couple of weeks ago.

    Pepple said to alleviate the problems resulting from the shutdown of the pipeline, the NNPC has stepped up distribution through tankers. “As I speak, we have raised the daily supply of fuel from Folawiyo tank farm from 150 tankers to 250 tankers, MRS from 100 to 200 tankers, Capital Oil up to 300 tankers, NIPCO up to 70 tankers and AITEO up to 100 tankers.”

    He noted that fuel delivery and supply to Port Harcourt, Aba and Calabar has also been augmented saying that bridging to the North has equally enjoyed robust supply adding that as at lastThursday, the NNPC had 32 days sufficiency of petroleum products.