A 24-hour special task force has been set up by the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to watch and monitor the sale of petrol at depots and stations.
The aim of the task force is to ascertain and recommend for sanction, depots and stations selling above the recommended price and also those that are hoarding fuel.
Dorothy Bassey, the Assistant Director, Public Affairs in DPR, revealed this to the News Agency of Nigeria on Thursday.
The assistant director said the special team was set up primarily for the festive season, adding that those guilty of selling petrol above the pump price were doing so at night.
Bassey said the DPR had previously met with petrol industry stakeholders to brief them on the government’s stance on illegal sale of petrol above the stipulated price and the long queues at the filling stations.
“We have instituted 24-hour surveillance by special task force which we are not going to disclose their identity because we don’t want them to be harassed.”
She said in order not to ‘compound the scarcity’, the government would not seal errant fuel stations, but would rather force them to sell at the official price.
Furthermore, Bassey disclosed that the DPR has posted on its website some numbers, through which Nigerians make reports and complaints.
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