The Minister of State, Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, has ordered the Department of Petroleum Resources to distribute petrol free to customers in any filling station found to be hoarding the product.
Kachikwu made this known while physically monitoring filling stations in the Federal Capital Territory.
He said: “I have instructed DPR as they proceed on monitoring that any station that has the product and they are hoarding, they should sell all the products for free to customers.
He has also promised to come down hard on oil marketers deliberately hoarding the product: “We are going to impose very serious penalty to the fuel station. So selling their products is not the answer, it is penalising them when they do this.
“I hope the message goes out loud and clear. I urge Nigerians to be patient, stop panic buying; there is product for everybody“
The minister also said he had directed that NNPC petrol stations sell round the clock to be able to serve FCT customers.
“I am instructing NNPC retail stations to stay open for 24 hours; the police will provide protection for them,” he stated.