NAN-HE-18
Kerosene
Eket (Akwa Ibom), Jan.10, 2017 (NAN) The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) sealed over 60 surface tanks used for dispensing kerosene without licence in Akwa Ibom and Cross River in November and December, 2016, an official has said.
Mr Bassey Nkanga, DPR’s Operation Controller in charge of Akwa Ibom and Cross River, made this known on Tuesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Eket Local Government Area of Akwa Ibom.
“We have sealed over 60 surface tanks for dispensing kerosene without licence in my area of operations.
“We sealed every tank whether they were selling or not.
“The department needed to know where the operators lift their product from to prevent them from buying adulterated kerosene,’’ the official said.
Nkanga said that most of the sealed surface tanks were from Akwa Ibom.
He told NAN that the department was working with the Independent Marketers’ Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to check the activities of illegal operators.
On scarcity of kerosene, the controller said that the product was not available in depots in Akwa Ibom.
He said that the Federal Government was doing its possible best to ensure kerosene availability.
“Kerosene is a domestic energy source; government is very sensitive; it is doing its possible best to ensure that kerosene is available and sold at the approved pump price,’’ he said.
He told NAN that the department had received 40 applications from Akwa Ibom residents for licence to sell kerosene with surface tanks.
Nkanga urged other kerosene marketers to obtain licence for operations of the business, warning that defaulters would be punished. (NAN)
SDB/GOM/IGO
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(Edited by Gregory Mmaduakolam/Ijeoma Popoola)