By Danzumi Ishaku, Jalingo.
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Taraba Operations Office on Friday said that the decline in the supply of the petroleum products was responsible for the looming petrol scarcity in the state.
Alhaji Abdulahhi Bature, Operations Controller, Jalingo Field Office of the agency made this know during a surveillance and enforcement compliance visit to marketers within Jalingo metropolis.
Bature said that a drastic reduction in supply of the product from 18 to seven trucks in the state was grossly inadequate.
He explained that marketers had earlier complained about an increase in depot charges from N152 to N159 which was affecting their business turnover.
According to him, we have earlier held a meeting with the marketers and advised them to maintain the normal price of the product which is still N165 per litre.
The controller gave an assurance that the agency would continue to enforce compliance on the official price regime of the product to ensure that the public was not shortchanged.
Bature also warned marketers against illegal price increase, calling on the public to report any increase in the pump price above the current price regime to the DPR.
‘ 18 trucks of PMS were supplied to the entire state at the beginning of the week and suddenly, we are experiencing a drastic decrease in the supply of the product down to seven trucks.
” From those seven, four are for Jalingo and the remaining three for Wukari and Gembu, as you can visibly see why the scarcity of the product is looming.
“We have held a meeting with the marketers on this issue and they complained of a sharp increase in the depot price of the product specifically in Calabar from N152 to N159.
” On our part, we have still maintain that the current pump price must be maintained and we are assuring Tarabans that the little available products must be sold at the current official price regime.
” We enplore the public to report to the DPR office any marketer who sells above the normal price,” Bature insisted.
Daybreak news reports that only four petrol stations were selling when the DPR team visited petrol stations within Jalingo town while many others closed down due to lack of the products.
