The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has sealed off three filling stations in Calabar for selling Premium Motor Spirit in gallons and dispensing less fuel than paid for due to tampered meters.
The unscheduled visits were led by the South-South regional coordinator of NMDPRA, Mrs. Comfort Ajayi, along with other team members. They inspected Uddy Filling Station at Effio Ette Roundabout, Okon Ansa at Ndidem Usang Road, and other locations.
In addition to the filling stations, the team extended their routine checks to depots including Dozzy Oil and Gas, Fynefield, Northwest, and Soroman Nigeria Limited, among others.
Mrs. Ajayi explained that the inspections were carried out to address illegal activities by petroleum marketers, specifically those selling PMS in gallons and those using faulty meters to cheat customers.
She noted that while fuel queues had previously disappeared in Calabar, they have recently resurfaced, prompting the need for these inspections.
Speaking after the inspection at Dozzy Oil in the Nigeria Export Processing Zone (NEPZ) in Calabar on Wednesday, Mrs. Ajayi warned that the NMDPRA would not hesitate to penalize any marketer involved in illegal activities.
“Our authority will not hesitate to punish any marketer who hoards petroleum products or is involved in any illicit activities,” she stated.
She emphasized the importance of fair practices, saying, “They should stop cheating and short-changing members of the public. How can you sell the product with a faulty pump above what you ought to sell? Why will you be dispensing with a faulty gauge to members of the public who are suffering, and tomorrow you begin to blame the government? This is completely unacceptable!”
Mrs. Ajayi also criticized the practice of selling fuel in jerricans, saying, “We are against them selling to people on jerricans because they are the major perpetrators of this evil. They are the ones siphoning the product to other countries while the citizens of the nation suffer.”
She concluded by stressing the need to ensure that fuel is available to the public without the interference of black marketers: “We want to make sure that the whole town is sanitized and ensure that those jerrican marketers are put out of business. Motorists cannot continue to wait in long queues just for them to be selling to black marketers in gallons; it is highly unacceptable.”
