FG warns fuel station operators against pump alteration

By Sola Omoniyi, Lagos

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

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

Ahmed said that petrol stations caught dispensing fuel with adjusted fuel pumps would face heavy sanctions, including revocation of operating licences, suspension from operation, or a shutdown, depending on the gravity of the offence.

According to him, the adjustment of fuel pumps by filling station operators is a major concern for the oil regulatory bodies and the Federal Government.

“What we are doing now is that we have some of our staff going round 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 one litre. Then we will know whether or not they have tampered with the pump,” he said.

The NMDPRA boss said that the authority would continue to collaborate with RMAFC to generate more revenue for the federation.

“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 said.

He called on citizens to invest in the midstream sector of the economy, saying: “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.”

RMAFC chairman, Mr Bello Shehu, said the purpose of engagement between both organisations was to strengthen their partnership.