Petrol sells above N100 per litre in S'East

Despite federal government's assurance last week that it had no plan to increase the pump price of petrol from the current N97 per liter, most filling stations in the South-east and the northern parts of the country have continued to dispense the product at above N100 per litre, THIS DAY reports.

The paper'sinvestigation revealed that many filling stations, operated by both the independent and major marketers in Imo, Anambra, Abia States as well as some states in the North, were selling petrol at between N105 and N115 per litre prior to the yuletide season.

Nigerians had a few days to the end of last year resorted to hoarding petrol in anticipation of an anticipated fuel price increase or scarcity, especially when oil workers threatened to embark on strike. This forced the government to issue a statement assuring Nigerians that there would be prices increases in fuel.

Prices of petrol had spiked to about  N125 per litre from the normal controlled price of N97.

According to THIS DAY's report, most independent and major petrol stations located in Owerri, Abia, Enugu, Anambra, Sokoto, Kebbi, Yobe, Jigawa, Taraba, still dispense petrol at above government approved N97 per litre.

A source at the DPR confirmed Tuesday night  that reports from its offices in those locations revealed that most of the petrol stations sell petrol at between N100 and N105 per litre. He said: 'The trend has become so rampant and marketers have continued to resist repeated warnings.'

He disclosed that in November alone, the agency sealed about 30 petrol stations in Sokoto and Kebbi for various offences, ranging from under-dispensing and selling above government approved pump price, while 16 filling stations were sealed in Imo by officials of the agency for similar offences.