The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has sealed two filling stations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for allegedly under-dispensing petroleum products to motorists and other consumers.
The affected stations are MRS Filling Station on Azikiwe Road and Stageoil Filling Station along Aba Road in Port Harcourt.
According to the authority, the action followed a routine surveillance and enforcement exercise by the NMDPRA to ascertain the quantity and quality of petroleum products dispensed by retail outlets and assess their compliance with safety standards.
Speaking with journalists after the exercise on Thursday, the NMDPRA Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Mustapha Lamorde, said the inspection was aimed at protecting consumers from being short-changed by filling station operators.
Lamorde said the exercise focused on three key areas: the quantity of petroleum products dispensed, the quality of the products and the safety of the retail outlets.
He said the authority checked whether motorists were receiving the quantity of fuel they paid for, while samples of products were also taken for on-the-spot screening to determine their compliance with national quality specifications.
The surveillance covered Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), also known as diesel, and Dual Purpose Kerosene (DPK).
Lamorde said some of the stations inspected were found to be under-dispensing, prompting the authority to seal the affected outlets pending further regulatory action.
“Some of the retail outlets are actually under-dispensing. And you can see that what we did immediately is to seal off some of these retail outlets, and then the necessary regulatory action will follow, basically sanctions and all that,” he said.
He, however, disclosed that one of the stations inspected was found to be over-dispensing, although the operator was unaware of the fault.
According to him, the station was directed to suspend sales and recalibrate its dispensing pump before resuming operations to prevent further losses.
The NMDPRA official said compliant stations were encouraged to maintain the required standards, stressing that the primary objective of the exercise was to ensure consumers received the exact quantity and quality of products they paid for.
“The end game for Nigerians, for consumers, is to make sure that they get what they are paying for. If you’re buying fuel, you get the quantity that you’re paying for. Secondly, you get the quality, which is very, very important for your health, for the environment and also for your vehicle,” Lamorde said.
The NMDPRA team also inspected the NNPC Mega Filling Station at Lagos Bus Stop in the old Port Harcourt Township, as well as Reinoil, TotalEnergies and NNPC Filling Station in Trans Amadi.
SOURCE: theguildng.com
