December 22, 2017: The supply and price of petrol in Anambra has worsened as customers now pay between N250 and N300 per litre in the state. Most filling stations in Awka and its environs had the product but refused to dispense.However, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) monitoring and enforcing the situation, compelled marketers to sell the product at the government regulated price of N145 per litre
The team, which came from Enugu Office, also sealed 12 filling stations, including an NNPC mega station for hoarding the product.
The team, led by Daniel Atama, however, met stiff resistance at Stanel Service Station which set its meter at N145 but was not dispensing, in spite of the long queues of motorists who had waited for over 24 hours.
The DPR efforts to get the owners of the station to sell proved abortive as the manager said he would only sell at whenever he wished and would not take orders from DPR.
Mr. Atama subsequently placed a seal order on the station for hoarding the products but an official of the station pulled the seal off immediately and threw it away right before the DPR team.
The DPR agents, however, left the station to avoid a brewing crisis.
But reacting to the development, Chris Orage, General Manager of the station said he did not remove the seal placed by the DPR.
He denied defying the DPR orders because the station enjoyed support from some highly placed people in Anambra government.
At an NNPC mega station, the entrance was closed while motorists waited patiently for them to start dispensing.
The DPR, however, entered the station and demanded that the underground tank be dipped to check if the product was available.
The DPR sealed the station when the attendants refused to obey the instruction after which the manager was called on phone and directed that the officials be allowed to check if the product was available.
NAN