By Moses Patience Chat
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has shutdown 75 filling stations in Osun State for operating without valid licenses and other regulatory breaches.
This was disclosed by NMDPRA State Coordinator, Mr Kunle Adeyemo, to Journalists on Wednesday in Osogbo, the states capital.
He also revealed that the filling stations were sealed during a surveillance operation that the Agency embarked on in April, adding that 301 filling stations were visited across the state during the exercise.
According to him, the intense surveillance of the Agency revealed that most of the filling stations in the State were operating without valid operational licenses and that all petroleum marketers have till May 31 to get their valid licenses or face sanctions.
This, he said, was in line with the Federal Government’s earlier directive that any petroleum marketer who failed to adhere to the deadline would be severely sanctioned and penalized.
His words: “It is important to state that the charges for the above infractions have been increased by the Federal Government.
“We implore petroleum marketers to start conforming to the rules guiding the operation of filling stations in the state and also meet up with the May 31 deadline, as NMDPRA surveillance team will be all out to monitor compliance.
“We urge all marketers to abide by the above to avoid being sanctioned.”
Adeyemo further explained that NMDPRA had a meeting with the leaders of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on the need for their members to obtain valid licenses and also abide with the rules guiding the operation of filling stations.
According to him, the Vice-Chairman of IPMAN, Ibadan Depot, who is in control of Oyo and Osun States, Alhaji Lekan Leklaw, pleaded with the Agency to give members of the Union time to comply with the directive of the Federal Government and the Agency as well.