The Osun State Government Taskforce on Petroleum Price Monitoring said on Sunday that it has identified some filling stations hoarding petroleum products in the state and warned them to, with immediate effect, desist from the act or be sanctioned with severe punishment.

The Chairman of the Taskforce and the Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Hon. Kazeem Akinleye, who handed down the warning in a statement in Osogbo, said the involved filling stations, which are already listed as direct culprits, should open up their tanks and dispense fuel to the members of the public.

He thereafter warned owners of petrol stations across the state against hoarding petroleum products, thereby worsening the fuel supply situation in the state.

The Chairman of the Taskforce added that hoarding the product could also create artificial scarcity and charged them to desist from such an unholy act.

According to him, “The taskforce noted that its surveillance across the state revealed that most filling stations are hoarding petrol products, thereby worsening the fuel supply situation in the state.”

“Surveillance activities were conducted in major towns and the state capital in the last three days, and they revealed deliberate hoarding of fuel to create artificial scarcity.”

“The Taskforce consequently issues a strong warning to affected filling stations, which are already listed as direct culprits, to open up their tanks and dispense fuel to members of the public.

The statement further tasked marketers with being public-spirited in their pricing of petroleum products, reminding them of the already harsh economic situation for members of the public.

“Failure to stop the fuel hoarding and take humanitarian notice of the prevailing economic situation in the country will lead to severe sanctions,” the statement warned.