Residents of Ibadan, Oyo state capital are in ecstasy mood as Gastab Mega filling station continues to defy odds against the landing cost of the Petroleum Motor Spirit (petrol) by selling at N141 in all its stations.
Checks conducted round the city for the fourth day running, showed that Gastab owned by a 2nd Deputy Zonal Chairman, Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) of NUPENG (Lagos zone), Saheed Omogbolahan, are selling the products at N141, a price below the Federal Government official pump price of N143. The stations are in areas like Awolowo road, Oke -Ado Ibadan and Polytechnic Eleyele expressway. Though there were long queues, but motorists are conducting themselves in orderly manner as petrol was being sold to them at N141.
Also a leading depot owner in the country, BOVAS is also selling in virtually all its filling stations along Ologuneru-Eruwa road, Apata, Bodija, Oluyole and other areas in Ibadan at N143 per litre.
The situation was the same at SAO filling stations owned by the National Chairman, PTD of NUPENG, Chief Salimon Akanni Oladiti as his fuel stations dispense at N143 per litre.
Total filling station is also selling at N145/litre in most of its filling stations visited. Some recalcitrant marketers are however selling at nocturnal times from between 10pm till wee hours at prices ranging from N180 to N250/litre. A litre of fuel still goes for N350 at Black markets in Sabo, Mokola area of the city.
A National Treasurer of Independent Marketers branch of NUPENG, Comrade Baale debunked yesterday story that his filling station at Olohunda-Aba (Bailey) listed was among the sealed stations on Wednesday. Baale said the task force met 1,500litres which they described as \’dead stock\’ but still went ahead, without restriction, to sell 1,000 litres to motorists and left 500 litres, without putting any seal on the station. He thereafter tasked reporters to always cross check their facts before rushing to file their news.
At Wednesday’s raid of the filling stations by a combined team of the operatives of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and officials of the Oyo state government, seven were reportedly sealed off in addition to the three sealed off on Tuesday.
The filling stations sealed off were found guilty of hoarding and selling petrol above the approved pump price of N145.
The team also forced four filling stations that were hoarding fuel to dispense at the Federal government approved pump price to the relief of the people.
The government said it set up the special task force team to support the DPR officials to rid the state of the activities of economic saboteurs parading themselves as petroleum marketers.
The enforcement took place in Akobo, Ashi, Apata, Olorundaba, among other areas.
Some of the filling stations sealed include Kesbash Oil Nigeria Limited, Swort Oil & Gas, Oduwoye Global Services Ltd, JOSFRAD International and Venture, Roylab International Ventures.
