Osun Govt warns petrol marketers against hoarding product

By Ismail Azeez, Osogbo

The Osun State Government Taskforce on Petroleum Price Monitoring has warned owners of petrol stations across the state against hoarding petroleum products to create artificial scarcity.

The warning was issued in a statement by the taskforce chairman and Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Kazeem Akinleye on Sunday in Osogbo.

The warning is coming after reported cases of hike in pump price of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, and resurgence of long queues in filling stations in some parts of the country.

Akinleye noted that surveillance across the state revealed that most filling stations are hoarding petrol products, thereby worsening the fuel supply situation in the state.

He said, “Surveillance activities were conducted in major towns and the state capital in the last three days and it revealed deliberate hoarding of fuel to create artificial scarcity.

“The Taskforce consequently issues strong warning to affected filling stations which are already listed as direct culprits to open up their tanks and dispense fuel to the members of the public.

“Failure to stop the fuel hoarding and take Humanitarian notice of prevailing economic situation in the country will lead to severe sanctions, the statement warned.”