Governor Aminu Waziri Tambuwal said the government will revoke the Certificate of Occupancy (C of O) of any filling station that is found to be hoarding fuel in order to create artificial scarcity or is selling above official rate.
He said the government, along with the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), will set up a joint task force to move round filling stations to ascertain their compliance with laid down rules and regulations guiding their operations.
The Governor’s threat followed the excruciating fuel scarcity bedeviling Sokoto town and environs which has been lingering for over two weeks.
Speaking when he inspected sale of fuel at some filling stations in Sokoto Sunday, Tambuwal said government will not fold its arms and watch unscrupulous marketers hold the people to ransom.
He said the supply of the commodity from the Nigeria national Petroleum Cooperation (NNPC) has not altered, as such, no one should create artificial scarcity to burden the people.
The Governor, who was accompanied by the Speaker of the state House of Assembly, Salihu Maidaji, urged all those hoarding the commodity to quickly open their stations.
“The committee will go round, and any filling station found hoarding fuel will face the full wrath of the law,” Tambuwal added.
The Governor commended the management of one of the filling stations visited, SAK Petroleum, for discharging the commodity promptly and at the official price.