Operatives of the Ebonyi State Government have sealed several filling stations in Abakaliki, the capital city.
The offending fuel stations were sealed following their alleged involvement in sharp practices, including meter adjustments, under-dispensing of petrol to customers, among other related offences.
Special Assistant to Governor Francis Nwifuru on Petroleum, Mr Nwafor Nnaemeka, disclosed the development to newsmen in Abakaliki.
He said: “We are not leaving any stone unturned and the procession continues and after the urban areas, we will relocate to the rural areas and make sure that the masses get value of what they paid for.”
Nnaemeka threatened that more petrol stations would be sanction in order to bring sanity to the sector.
He said: “Fuel pump price hike is a global menace, so far this country is concerned. The sudden increase of the pump price both from the depot to fuel station owners, due to unavailability of products and as it stands now, Ebonyi State is not an exception. It’s almost everywhere in the country and all states are experiencing it.
“We have been working tirelessly to make sure that fuel stations are not under dispensing. We got information that due to the unavailability of the product, people are using the opportunity to defraud the masses.
“That’s why we deployed a task force to go to all the fuel stations in the state to make sure that they monitor the activities of fuel stations closely. So far, we have sealed three fuel stations; Edde Mass, R&C and Dozi oil & gas fuel stations due to under-dispensing.
He further debunked the allegations making the round in the state that fake task force agents have flooded fuel stations and are busy extorting money from dealers.
“Anybody who is saying that government is not checkmating the activities of the fuel station owners is not saying the truth, that’s what resulted in the sealing of the three fuel stations, and they will not go scotsfree, and probably we are going to use them as an example, because it is not good to defraud the masses. They are going to face the full wrath of the law.
“Also, it is not true that fake task force agents are flooding fuel stations in the state. I have task force agents that were approved by Governor Francis Nwifuru, to work under my department to checkmate the sharp practices that are going on in most of the fuel stations in the state, ranging from adulteration, meter adjustments and other unholy activities, thereby making the masses not to get the value of what they paid for.”
