Why DPR Shut Down, CONOIL, OANDO, 20 Others

August 4, 2015 Babatunde Ojetola

Fatimah Abdullahi

The Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR on Tuesday disclosed that its decision to close down 22 petrol filling stations in Abuja and its immediate environs is as a result of unwholesome business practices whereby the marketers gained excessive profits.

This was contained in a statement by the agency Head of Public Relations in Abuja, Mohammed Saidu.

According to the statement, 19 of the affected filling stations were closed down because they were found guilty of selling their products above the government regulated price of N87 per litre.

“Two filling station were shut for diversion of petroleum products, while the remaining one was found guilty of grossly under-dispensing and selling products massively in jerry cans”, he said.

The affected 19 gas stations sealed for selling petrol above N87 according to the statement are: Kalasma Nigeria Limited in Zuba; Inyas Nigeria Limited on Kaduna Road, Niger State; Jibeco Nigeria Limited; Ahmis Nigeria Limited also on Kaduna Road, Niger State;‎ Evil International Oil and Gas, One Man Village, Karu; Falke Oil, Double Pole, New Nyanya; Alhaji Isa Maidole and Sons Nigeria Limited, Abuja-Keffi Road, New Nyanya, Nasarawa State; Halims (Invest) Nigeria Limited. Abuja-Keffi Road, New Nyanya, Nasarawa State.

Others on the list are: Dikas Petrol Company Limited, Abuja-Keffi Road, One Man Village; Danco Oil, Gwagwalada; Sunmart, Giri; Abba Petrol Ltd, Zuba; Febas Energy, Giri; Mayo Kanwa, Doma; Ent Lt Rayhanah Company Limited, and Conoil all in Gwagwalada.

Kelvin Energy Limited and B.B. King Nigeria Limited both on Kaduna Road, Niger State according to DPR were sealed for selling at N105 per litre, while‎ A.A. Rano Nigeria Ltd, Abuja-Keffi Road, Nyanya was sealed for manipulation of pump price and selling in Jerry cans.

Yaman Nig. Ltd Abuja, on Keffi Road, New Nyanya and Oando, on Herbert Macaulay Way, Abuja were sanctioned for diversion of petrol to another station.

All affected stations in the exercise, according to the statement are to remain sealed for at least one month in addition to forfeiting their bridging claims as directed by the federal government.

DPR warned marketers and depot owners to conduct their operations within the guidelines governing petroleum sales and distribution in the country or risk regulatory punishments, adding that the exercise will continue until normalcy is restored in the downstream petroleum sector.