Petrol dealers in Yenagoa have defied the Federal Government’s directive fixing the pump price of petrol at N97 per litre.

A recent investigation by our reporter showed that two days after the new price was announced, almost all the major petrol stations in the city are still selling for between N140 and N150 per litre.

Only the NNPC mega station in Yenagoa, which was besieged by motorists and commercial motorcyclists, adjusted its pump price to N97 per litre in accordance with the government directive.

Our correpondent  investigations also showed that some of the petrol stations deliberately closed down business to avoid selling their products at the new pump price. The situation had left buyers at the mercy of black marketers, many of whom are still making brisk gain selling at exorbitant rates.

A petrol attendant at one of the petrol stations in Yenagoa, who gave her name as Ruth Ogbu, told newsmen that they were yet to get any directive from their director on the reversal to the new pump price.

She said, “we are still selling at our old price of N150 because our manger said that our director travelled out of town. So until he returns and ask us to adjust, we cannot do so.”

But many motorists, who spoke to our source, condemned the attitude of the petrol dealers. They described them as economic saboteurs, who are out to maximise gain in defiance of the government directive and at the expense of the common man.

Mr. Paul Ufuro, a taxi-cab operator, lamented the travails of motorists, which he said, had been a frustrating experience ever since the removal of the subsidy on petrol.

“These dealers in Bayelsa are greedy. Many of them sold at N200 per litre during the days of the protest over the removal of subsidy. Even up till now, they are still selling at N150 when actually the president had directed them to adjust to N97,’’ he said.

Our source also further learnt that majority of the petrol stations that refused to sell at the new pump price are engaged in illicit business of selling to black marketers at night. The black marketers, in turn, sell to the public at higher rates.

Mr. Bony Izunaso, a petrol station manager, however, defended his co-managers and said that selling at the new pump price would amount to “bad business.’’

Izunaso explained that the dealers had bought the product at higher price during the previous week of the removal of the subsidy.

He said, “let us be frank, at least this is business. How do you want us to make gain by selling our old products at the new price? Actually, it is a good development when the president announced the new pump price, but it would have to take time to enable us sell off our old stock before any adjustment.’’

In his reaction, the Head of Operations of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Bayelsa, Dr. Duncan Eradiri said DPR would ensure that dealers complied with government order.

“We are prepared to compel them to sell at the new price. Even today, we went out and sealed some of the fuel stations that have refused to comply with government’s directive.

“I must say that we will continue to monitor the situation and ensure total compliance by all dealers in the state,’’ Eradiri said.