DPR HAS GONE BLIND IN KOGI STATE

By Cmr. Umar Adarehi

Let me start my write-up by posing this question to the good people of Kogi Central & by extension Kogi state as a whole-WHAT HAS MADE THE ALMIGHTY DPR (Department of Petroleum Resources) SO POWERLESS AND EXTINCT IN KOGI STATE???
The DPR is established to monitor & regulate the activities of Petrol stations to avoid sharp practices such as selling above pump price, under dispensing (referred to as adjustment by we the buyers of PMS).
The DPR is working round the clock in other parts of the country to the advantage of the PMS (Prenium Motor Spirit) consumers which we call petrol. This is evident in the sealing up of petrol stations & free distribution of petrol to motorists when any incidence of the aforementioned sharp practises is noticed. 
These sharp practises by petrol stations thrive in Kogi State & Kogi Central in particular as if the geographical entities have been carved out of Nigeria. DPR have been so blind to see the daylight robbery of motorists by fuel stations who sell at exorbitant prices far above the official pump price of #86.50K per litre. That is not all, these same fuel stations even do the worse by adjusting their meters to cheat motorists & other categories of PMS users. This is so bad that to be able to get Ten correct litres of petrol in Kogi Central Filling stations apart from Total's, you need to pay for 16 to 18 litres multiplied by "their " pump price of between #150 to #160 per litre. What a Robbery???
Why is the Amighty DPR so blind to these atrocities & fraud being perpetrated by these filling stations across Ebiraland???
Why have they been unable to extend its tentacles to Ebiraland & Kogi State in General???
Why do we all feel not concerned when in the real sense we suffer it as evident in the skyrocketing costs of food stuff, fares & services???
A lot of questions that seems to be rhetorical keep running through my head in pain.
  "BAD THINGS KEEP THRIVING WHEN GOOD PEOPLE KEEP QUIET"
Before i start this piece today, I have personally interviewed many drivers and Okada riders in the area under discourse about what they & their so called UNIONS have done about these ugly trends. The response i keep getting from them is somewhat disturbing. Most of them accused their unions of complacency. They too are not happy about their union that is supposed to be their mouthpiece being compromised. They also accused the petrol station owners mostly who they allege has a way of contributing money together to block the DPR officials from operating into their domains.
In this era of change & anti corruption, the DPR should respond very quickly to these allegation in order not to undermine its credibility.
The DPR should also tell us why have they been so powerless to extend their tentacles to Kogi state & why are the petrol stations allowed to have field day???
Let us all rise against this robbery by lending our voice to this piece till PMB, Ibe Kachikwu & DPR hear our voice.
  ....Together, we can make positive impact!

COMRADE (ENGR) UMAR BELLO ADAREHI
PRESIDENT, +VE IMPACT INITIATIVE.