Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has wielded the big stick by sealing two petroleum retail outlets and two gas plants over sharp practices in Delta.
The Delta State Coordinator of NMDPRA, Engr. Victor Ohwodiasa, made the disclosure on Thursday in Warri, saying the erring stations were sealed by the surveillance team of the regulatory authority between Tuesday and Wednesday at the Asaba and Ibusa axis of the state.
He said that the offences bordered on under-dispensing, operating without valid licences and other illegalities within the filling stations.
The coordinator stressed that the authority would not tolerate a situation where people would be shortchanged as a result of under-dispensing and other illegalities.
“In line with our mandates, we constantly visit petroleum retail outlets to ensure they sell one litre for one litre.
“Agreeably, there are bound to be variations due to mechanical error in their machines but these are subject to limits, when it exceeds, we shutdown the facilities,” he said
Ohwodiasa called on the petroleum marketers to ensure that their metres are well calibrated and sell accurately.
“Based on what we have been doing to ensure the consumers are not shortchanged.
“We have been visiting retail outlets across the local government areas in the state to ensure sanity is brought and maintained within the retail outlets.
“This week, we have sealed four stations within the Asaba and Ibusa axis over offences bordering on under-dispensing, operating without valid licenses and illegal activities within the filling stations.
“We will continue to sustain the tempo in this ember months and beyond to ensure products are made available to consumers and sold at the right prices and quantity,” he said.
Ohwodiasa urged the public to always notify the regulatory authority whenever they notice any awkward transactions in their dealing with the petroleum marketers for immediate actions.
According to him, the awkward dealings included but not limited to under-dispensing, product quality, suspected diversion, illegal bunkering activities, illegal discharged of unauthorised petroleum products in unauthorised locations.
Ohwodiasa, however, assured the public of a favourable feedback on such information.
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