NSCDC shuts fuel station over hoarding in Ogun
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NIGERIA: FOR alleged hoarding of fuel, a petrol station in Ita-Eko area of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, has ran afoul of the law.
The Ogun State Command of the Nigeria Security Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) has, therefore, sealed Ebenfem Petrol Station not only for the hoarding but denying customers the right of purchase.
GatewayMail gathered that the owners of the petrol station were discovered by the monitoring team of the NSCDC to be selling fuel at N130 per litres, contrary to the official price of N87.
Following this discovery and to avert trouble, the fuel station reverted to N87, but surprisingly the attendants after selling fuel at the approved price to about five customers, and knowing that the security officials had left, stopped further sales.
They told motorists on queue that there were no more products in the tank, an excuse which infuriated the customers who became agitated.
The development eventually got to the knowledge of the officials of NSCDC who stormed the station, but discovered that all the petrol attendants and their manager had disappeared with many motorists still on queue.
When the security men checked the underground tank, they discovered that there was enough fuel to be sold to customers but the attendants deliberately hoarded the products.
As a result of the discovery, the security men closed the station and assigned some of its personnel to keep watch pending when the bolted staff would return to the station.
Two of the motorists, Saheed Opeoluwa and Mrs. Rachael Esan, told journalists that the management of the fuel station was insincere.
They accused the fuel station of subjecting customers to torture for their selfish interest, while they commended men of the NSCDC for monitoring the fuel situation in the state.
The motorists said they were pleased with the punitive measure meted out by the security personnel against Ebenfem and other erring petrol stations in the state.
While speaking to journalists, the Public Relations Officer of the State Command of NSCDC, Kareem Olanrewaju, confirmed the closure of the station.
He explained that the fuel station acted contrary to the law guiding the sales of petroleum products in the state.
Olanrewaju, who said that so far a large number of petrol stations have been complying with the price reversal directive, warned that any fuel station selling above the official price would face the full wrath of the law.
He also stressed that the monitoring would be a continuous exercise until when all the stations adhere strictly to the approved price per litre.
*Ajeigbe is a Siwes Student
