Oyo state government has asked the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) to start monitoring filling stations in the state and sanction marketers found hoarding the product.
The State Commissioner for Works and Transport, Prof. Daud Sangodoyin made the call on Monday while featuring on a private radio station in Ibadan.
Sangodoyin said the scarcity of fuel that started on Sunday was artificial as there was no reason for most of the marketers not to sell to the people.
Most filling stations in Ibadan, the Oyo state capital were not selling fuel to motorists while those selling experienced long queues which also contributed to traffic gridlock in some parts of the metropolis.
“As government, we are doing all we can to make life easy for the people of Oyo State and this is reflected in the number of infrastructural projects around the State, for some people to be creating artificial scarcity of fuel for pecuniary reasons is wrong and inhuman.
“The Department of Petroleum Resources should as a matter of urgency swing into action and arrest the situation, they have the work of monitoring cut out for them and this is the moment to bring those marketers sabotaging government’s effort by hoarding products to book,” the Commissioner submitted.
