Motorists jubilated on Monday at Mani Petrol Station, Mowe, Ogun State as the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), turned Santa Claus and offered them free petrol.
The free fuel by the DPR was the result of a sanction imposed on the owner of the station, who had ignored an earlier warning to dispense fuel at the regulated price of N145.
News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that Head of Operations, DPR office in the state, Kasali Akinade, had earlier visited the station to warn the owner to start selling at the approved pump price.
NAN also reports that DPR officials had to return to sanction the owner because he refused to comply with their earlier directive.
Kasali said it had become imperative for him to make a “scapegoat” out of the station, so as to serve as a deterrent to others around the area.
He wondered why people would want to make life difficult for fellow citizens, saying the department has zero tolerance for such act of indiscipline.
“We got a tip-off that they are hoarding and selling at N220 per litre. We came here and instructed him to start selling at the approved pump price and forgave him for what he did.
“But as soon as we left his station, he reverted back to the old price and even stopped selling. We had to turn back and make a scapegoat out of him.
“This will serve as a deterrent to others because we treated him as a gentleman at first, but he decided to sabotage the efforts of the federal government,” he said.
He advised other marketers to quit short-changing the public, saying if they have any grievances, they should channel it to the appropriate quarters rather than taking it out on the masses.
Some customers who spoke with NAN expressed their joy at the DPR’s intervention, saying they needed such acts while also advising proper monitoring on the part of the authorities.
NAN reports that other stations visited that were hitherto not selling were made to start selling just as those who were selling above pump price were made to revert to the normal price of N145 per litre. (NAN)
