Anambra warns oil marketers against sharp practices

WORRIED by the excesses of petroleum products’ dealers, Anambra State government has warned that tough measures await marketers who engage in fraudulent practices at various filling stations in the state.

At a joint press briefing in Awka yesterday, the Commissioner for Special Duties, Vincent Ezenwajiaku and Chairman, Anambra State Petroleum Committee, Obi Okwudili, said recent investigations revealed that dealers, especially on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly known as petrol, had been short-changing the public by selling above the recommended pump price of N97.00.

“In the past two weeks, the government had observed that some filling stations have adjusted their metres, some sell adulterated fuel, hike price and sell between N100 and N110 per litre, while others even diverted petroleum products meant for Anambra State”, they observed.

Warning that the government would no longer tolerate such sharp practices, Ezenwajiaku cautioned dealers to revert to N97.00 per litre or face outright closure of defaulting filling stations and prosecution of the dealer.

According to him, from this week, the petroleum committee and its task force, accompanied by security men, would commence monitoring of filling stations in Awka and Onitsha, as well as those located in remote areas of the state.

“Any dealer caught abusing the law would face the music. There will be no sacred cow; the NNPC mega-station must equally comply because their management will not support dealing in sharp practices. Residents in Anambra should enjoy fuel subsidy as part of democracy dividend like other states in the country”, Ezenwajiaku stressed.

He also charged the committee members to ensure that they fish out offenders and also enforce the official fuel pump price.

He advised members of the public to co-operate by providing vital information to government or the petroleum committee on any sharp practice by sending text messages to the following phone numbers: 08033025521 and 08033360443.