19th January, 2015
Jethro Ibileke/Benin
An Oando filling station in Benin, on Monday, came under the sledge hammer of Edo State Petroleum Monitoring Committee, which sealed it over its failure to comply with the new pump price regime of N87:00 per litre for Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) as announced by the Federal Government on Sunday.
Mixed reaction has however continued to greet the new price pump price announced on Sunday by Petroleum Minister, Mrs. Diezani Alison-Madueke, as some petrol dealers complied while others continued to sell at the old price of N97:00, insisting that they were doing so to recover the cost of buying the product before implementing the new price regime.
Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation’s mega filling station on Sapele road, Zeeko Oil and Total filling station along Akpakpava road were some of the stations that have implemented the new price.
Alison-Madueke while announcing the reduction in the pump price by N10, explained that it was due to the recent drastic fall in the price of crude oil in the international market.
One of the pump attendants at the sanctioned Oando filling station, located along Sapele Road, who spoke on ground of anonymity, said they were yet to receive instruction from the manager of the station on the new PMS price.
She however showed a text message from the management on their position on the new price regime to journalists.
The text message read thus: “Oando management has not been officially informed of the PMS price change. So for now, maintain the price of N97 per litre.”
Chairman of the Edo State Petroleum Monitoring Committee, Mr. Soni Idahagbon, while addressing journalists at the premises of the erring filling station, said the station would remain shut until it complied with the new pump price.
“This is unfortunate. This station is yet to effect compliance with the new federal government directive on the change in fuel price and I think it is incumbent upon me and the committee to do the needful.
Hence, I have ordered that this station be sealed pending when compliance is done,” he said, just as he warned other marketers to adopt the new price or face sanctions, adding that “they have a similar fate or even worse awaiting them for any act of misdemeanour.”