FG vows to sanction fuel station operators altering pump

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has vowed to sanction fuel stations that alter petroleum pumps.

Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive of NMDPRA, expressed this during an interactive session with commissioners of the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) in Abuja on Friday.

Ahmed said that petrol stations caught dispensing fuel with adjusted fuel pumps would be made to face severe penalties, including revocation of operating licences, suspension from operation, or a shutdown, depending on the seriousness of the offence.

He claims that the Federal Government and oil regulatory agencies are very concerned about filling station operators adjusting the fuel pumps.

“What we are doing now is that we have some of our staff going around to take on-the-spot checks of some of the petrol stations. If you drive into a station and drive out, you will not know if you have been cheated until you do a measurement.

“Sometimes, we do a physical measurement where we go to some stations and buy one litre and look at that environment to see whether that one litre is really one litre. Then we will know whether or not they have tampered with the pump,” he said.

According to the head of NMDPRA, the organization will keep working with RMAFC to increase revenue for the federation.

He said, “We have started the engagement, but this is just a formal collaboration on areas where we can improve revenue generation for the federation. There are two areas we have to look at, which are either to generate revenue or cut costs.”

He appealed to residents to make investments in the midstream sector of the economy, adding, “For example, if you want to build a gas plant, come to us; we will give you the guidelines and the policies, and you will come and invest. The area you want to invest in will determine the cost of investment; the investment opportunities are there.”

The goal of collaboration between the two organizations, according to RMAFC Chairman Mr. Bello Shehu, is to strengthen their partnership.