The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has sealed two filling stations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for under-dispensing petroleum products to motorists and other members of the public. The sealed facilities are MRS Filling Station on Azikiwe Road and Stageoil Filling Station along Aba Road, both in Port Harcourt. This action followed a routine surveillance and enforcement exercise conducted by the NMDPRA in the metropolis to ascertain the quantity and quality of petroleum products dispensed by retail outlets.
The NMDPRA team also inspected other filling stations during the exercise, including the NNPC Mega Filling Station located at Lagos Bus Stop in the old Port Harcourt Township, Reinoil, TotalEnergies, and NNPC Filling Station in Trans Amadi. The inspection aimed to protect consumers from being short-changed by filling station owners and operators. The NMDPRA Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment, and Community, Dr. Mustapha Lamorde, said the authority conducted checks on the quantity of products dispensed, their quality, and the safety of the retail outlets.
According to Dr. Lamorde, the surveillance covered petroleum products, including Premium Motor Spirit, Automotive Gas Oil, also known as diesel, and DPK, otherwise known as kerosene. Samples were randomly taken for on-the-spot screening as part of the authority's evidence-based regulatory process. Some of the retail outlets were found to be under-dispensing, and the NMDPRA sealed them off, with necessary regulatory actions to follow.
The NMDPRA also found one of the filling stations visited to be over-dispensing without knowing it and directed the operator to stop sales and recalibrate its pump before resuming operations to prevent further losses. Stations found to be compliant were encouraged to maintain the standard, with the ultimate objective of ensuring that Nigerians got exactly what they paid for.
Dr. Lamorde debunked claims that staff of the authority were not up and doing, explaining that such surveillance exercises were continuous, with NMDPRA field officers deployed across the country to monitor petroleum retail outlets. The NMDPRA official assured consumers in Rivers State and other parts of the country that the authority would continue to enforce compliance and sanction operators found violating regulations.
The NMDPRA has partnered with Bureau Veritas and Ace Energy Group to strengthen product testing and quality assurance capabilities in the Nigerian petroleum industry. A tripartite Memorandum of Understanding was signed for enhanced petroleum product testing, quality assurance, and laboratory development in Nigeria. The partnership aims to standardize Standard Operating Procedures to benchmark with international best practices.
The NMDPRA still retains the authority, accountability, and responsibility of product quality. Dr. Lamorde urged members of the public to report suspected infractions through the authority's official communication channels, promising that appropriate sanctions would be imposed on erring operators. The authority's efforts aim to ensure that consumers get what they pay for in terms of quantity and quality of petroleum products.
Key points
- The NMDPRA sealed two filling stations in Port Harcourt for under-dispensing petroleum products.
- The authority conducted checks on the quantity, quality, and safety of petroleum products dispensed by retail outlets.
- The NMDPRA has partnered with Bureau Veritas and Ace Energy Group to strengthen product testing and quality assurance capabilities.
