By Thompson ABISOLA
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Akwa Ibom says it has sealed 46 filling stations without the department’s licenses and under dispensing of petroleum products in the state.
DPR Head of Operations in Eket Mr Olusegun Dabor disclosed this when the department carried out routine inspection of fuel stations in Uyo and its environs on Thursday, saying that the fuel stations concerned were sealed from December till date.
He noted that some filling stations were yet to acquire licenses since they started operating in the state while others were operating without sign posts.
The head of operations aid that the filling stations were operating for over six years without approved licenses from the department.
“The department has sealed 30 filling stations without operational license and 16 stations were under dispensing their products.
“For those filling stations under dispensing, we have to come back and check if their pump is working before we can unseal them,” Dabor said.
He said that the department had embarked on aggressive surveillance to check the activities of petroleum products dealers during the yuletide season.
Daboh said that the names of the defaulters would be given to the sister agencies for further prosecution.
He said the surveillance team of the department was working with sister agencies to monitor the sealed filling stations in the area.
The DPR head of operations said the department would give the defaulters one month to repair their pumps.
He advised the public not to panic in buying petroleum products during the yuletide season “because there is availability of the products in the country.“
Reacting to sealing of filling stations, Mr Paul Dickson, Station Manager at Mega Filling, Uyo whose pump was allegedly under dispensing, acknowledged the sealing of some pumps in the station.
He said that the under dispensing of petroleum products in the station was as a result of old pumps, adding that such pumps had been worn out.
“Some of our pumps are actually old and plans are underway to change the old pumps and fix new pumps, “ he said.
The pumps 9 and 10 of the Mega filing station were sealed for under dispensing of the products.
