The State Commandant of Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps, Anambra State Command, Commandant Everestus Chimezie Obiyo JP+ has reiterated the Corps readiness to apprehend filling station owners who are taking undue advantage of the artificial scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) popularly called Petroleum to hike the price of the product thereby worsening the current situation in the state.

This was contained in a press statement signed by the Command’s Spokesperson, DSC Okadigbo Edwin.

Obiyo after observing that most filling stations were dispensing a litre of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) above the recommended pump price.

He charged members of the public to furnish the command with credible information on the activities of errant marketers, noting that NSCDC is ready to ensure that filling stations with the commodity sell at the government approved price.

Meanwhile, the State Command in line with Dr. Ahmed Abubakar Audi mni, the Commandant Generals’ directive to State Commandants to deploy personnel mostly Anti-Vandalism Squad to filling stations to maintain orderliness, monitor compliance with government approved rates as well as stop visible and perceived sharp practices observed during supervision and monitoring of some filling Stations in the State.

The team led by the Head of Anti Vandalism Squad, Assistant Commandant Dennis Reuben visited several filling stations in Awka metropolis, to monitor the compliance of sale of the commodity at the approved price, cautioned them against hiking the price and ensured that the product is sold to motorists instead of hoarding it.

Beside the astronomical rise in price in some of the filling stations visited, the entourage noticed that most filling stations were shortchanging customers through under – dispensing and product hoarding.

While speaking about his experience during the exercise, ACC Reuben Dennis wondered why operators of filling stations still chose to sabotage the government and inflict pains on consumers.

He warmed erring filing stations who are still selling above the recommended pump price or hoarding the products thereby causing artificial scarcity to revert or risk being arrested and dealt with according to the law.