The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has warned members of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and tanker drivers in Osun against fuel diversion in the state.
Mr Ademola Makinde, DPR’s Operations Controller in Osun, gave the warning at the maiden sensitisation workshop for IPMAN members with the theme “Oil and Gas Safe Practices: My Civic Obligation”, on Thursday, in Ile-Ife, Osun.
Makinde said that such act attracts a fine of N200 per litre of fuel diverted from the state or town it was intended to be supplied to.
The controller urged IPMAN members to always indicate on their way bill at the depot of loading the exact location they were carrying the fuel to.
He said that any dealer caught diverting fuel to a location not stated in the way bill would be sanctioned.
Makinde also warned trailer drivers against selling fuel to roadside dealers, saying such behaviour was against DPR guidelines.
The DPR boss said that those selling the product by the road side were not authorised to do so.
He warned that anyone caught selling or buying fuel by the road side would be dealt with according to the law.
“The Nigerian public has come to the full awareness that oil and gas does not only generate benefits but also causes hazards, if not properly handled.
“The theme of this workshop has always been tailored to specifically reflect the peculiarity of the prevailing issues in the oil and gas marketing sector in the state,” Makinde said.
In his remarks, Mr Olusegun Daboh, DPR Head of Operations, said that surveillance inspection conducted in the state by the department revealed high level of infractions in many filling stations.
Daboh said that the infractions by owners of filling stations range from under-dispensing of products to poor housekeeping and operating with expired licence, among others.
He said that the department’s obligation to ensure adequate supply of fuel at the stipulated government price regime necessitated the sensitisation workshop.
Also speaking, Mr Kayode Rotimi, the IPMAN Chairman in Ile-Ife, urged the government to move against those selling petroleum products by the road side.
He said that the actions of such people were not in the interest of the government and IPMAN.
The representatives of the Police, National Security and Civil Defence Corps, Federal Roads Safety Corps and the Fire Service in attendance called for synergy between IPMAN, DPR and security agencies.
