The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Tuesday announced that eight petroleum retail outlets in Warri and its environs in Delta State have been sealed.
The Coordinator of NMDPRA in Delta State, Victor Ohwodiasa, said the action was a safety measure following reported cases of under-dispensing at Ifiekporo, Ughoton, Ubeji, Effurun/Sapele Road, and Ovwian community in Udu Local Government Area.
Speaking with journalists in Warri, Ohwodiasa added that the petroleum marketers were operating without valid licences and exhibited poor safety culture and housekeeping standards.
He explained that operators of the sealed retail outlets adjusted their meters during weekends, describing the approach as “ungodly” as customers were shortchanged.
He said, “Our surveillance team was on the field on Sunday to checkmate the petroleum retail outlets on sharp practices. Twenty-seven stations were visited, and eight among them were found wanting for various infringements.
“These facilities have been sanctioned, and appropriate penalty will be meted out to them in line with the procedural guidelines of the NMDPRA.
“Some of them are first offenders, and notwithstanding, they will still face the wrath of the law.
“We have told them that we are keeping data on infringements. If they commit further offences, the punishment will be stiffer to serve as a deterrent to others.
“The essence is not punitive but, of course, corrective.”
Explaining the measures taken to apprehend the culprits, Ohwodiasa said routine surveillance is part of the regulatory authority’s core mandate to ensure motorists and other petroleum product users receive the right quality and quantity.
He said, “The essence of the surveillance was to ensure customers got value for their money, one litre for one litre.
“There could be mechanical errors in the dispensing machine, which the authority has created allowances for.
“Any mechanical deviation that is outside the normal range will attract the appropriate sanction to the erring filling station.”
Ohwodiasa further urged the public to reach out to NMDPRA whenever issues of under-dispensing, poor housekeeping, unsafe practices, or poor-quality products are noticed.
Reiterating NMDPRA’s commitment to ensuring quality petroleum products reach consumers, he said, “Customers should get value for their money. They should get exactly what they are paying for.”