Petroleum products marketers, retailers and depot owners are in panic mode as the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), on Thursday, commenced a nationwide crackdown on filling stations under-dispensing refined petroleum products to customers.
Join Diaspora Networks
This comes as the NMDPRA, on Wednesday, alerted industry stakeholders, including the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN); Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria (PETROAN); Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN); and Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) of its crackdown on product under-dispensing across filling stations nationwide.
In the notice, the NMDPRA threatened to revoke the licences of erring filling stations.
“Persistent or serious violations will be subject to appropriate sanctions, up to and including revocation of the outlet’s licence, in line with NMDPRA’s regulations,” the notice reads.
Following the NMDPRA’s alert, IPMAN and PETROAN directed their members to inspect and verify their petroleum product dispensing meters.
The National President of PETROAN, Billy Gillis-Harry, during an interview with Channels Television on Wednesday, said members have been told to regularise their meters as quickly as possible, to avoid sanctions.
“We circulated a message calling on our members to check their meters as quickly as possible,” Gillis-Harry said.
IPMAN’s spokesperson, Chinedu Ukadike, said he has similarly charged members to comply with the directive.
Follow Federal Policy
A filling station manager in Abuja, who preferred anonymity, reportedly confirmed that he has received the under-dispensing notice.
According to him, some filling stations are guilty of under-dispensing petroleum products to customers.
He, however, said he was yet to see regulators carry out on-site enforcement.
“Yes, some filling stations are guilty of under-dispensing petroleum products to customers. It is good that the regulator has woken up to its responsibility. NMDPRA has created panic among my colleagues. However, I am yet to see on-site enforcement after the notice,” he said.
This comes as Nigerians buy petrol between N1,395 and N1,450 per litre in Abuja.
Three days ago, Dangote Refinery reduced its gantry petrol price to N1,325 per litre from N1,350 following a drop in crude oil prices.
The Dangote Refinery price reduction triggered a slight drop in petrol prices at depots and some filling stations.