Rivers: NMDPRA sanctions 2 petrol stations

The Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has sealed Stage oil at crap Center bus stop and queried MRS oil filling stations at Aba in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for alleged under-dispensing and violation of safety standards.

The exercise which was part of the NMDPRA routine nationwide surveillance of retail outlets in the state, was led by the Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community (HSEC), Dr. Mustapha Lamode, who represented the Authority Chief Executive, Mallam Rabiu A Umar, on Thursday in Port Harcourt.

Speaking with newsmen after the exercise, Dr. Lamode explained that the operation, which is simultaneously ongoing in Abuja and other parts of the country, is aimed at ensuring that Nigerians get full value for petroleum products they pay for.

According to him, the Authority’s mandate is to protect consumers from being shortchanged and to ensure that the quality of fuel sold does not endanger health, the environment or vehicles.

He explained that the inspection focuses on three critical parameters: quantity, quality specification, and safety of operations at the retail outlets.

He said: “What we did in the field basically is three things. We look at the quantity, we also look at the quality and importantly the safety of the operation of the retail outlet. We take random sampling, take it to the laboratory for verification and follow certificate procedure before taking regulatory actions.”

In Port Harcourt, the team visited several strategic outlets including NNPC at Lagos Bus Stop, Railoil Station at Township Bus Stop, MRS Oil along Aba Road, TotalEnergies at Garrison, Stage Oil at CFC Bus Stop, and NNPC at Trans-Amadi.

During the exercise, some stations were sealed immediately after infractions were established, while others were queried. The MRS station along Aba Road was among those queried over alleged irregularities.

The NMDPRA boss described the findings as mixed, noting that while some outlets complied, others failed the quantity and safety checks, prompting enforcement action.

He assured that the exercise will be continuous, and urged members of the public to report any filling station suspected of under-dispensing or selling poor-quality products to the NMDPRA for immediate action.

He stressed that the core message for Nigerians is consumer confidence, assuring that if you pay for one litre, you must get one litre, and the quality must meet approved standards.

“This is to make sure that when you buy fuel, you get the quantity you are paying for. Secondly, you get the quality which is very important for your health, for the environment and for your vehicle,” he added.

The latest enforcement is part of the NMDPRA’s “Operation One Litre for One Litre” initiative.

NMDPRA had earlier in February this year, sealed 11 petrol stations in Obio-Akpor and Port Harcourt for similar offences.

The Authority also warned that persistent offenders will risk licence revocation, penalties and prosecution.

The South-South Coordinator of NMDPRA, Victor Owodiasa, had earlier urged station owners must regularly check their pumps instead of waiting for regulators to expose faults.

The Authority also entered into the tripartite Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the Bureau Veritas, a laboratory and a product quality testing division and Ace Energy and Power Solutions Limited, on collaboration for product testing, quality assurance and laboratory development in Nigeria.