The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has announced its intention to penalize fuel station operators who manipulate petroleum pumps.
Mr. Farouk Ahmed, the Chief Executive of NMDPRA, made this known during an interactive session with commissioners from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) in Abuja on Friday.
Ahmed stated that petrol stations found dispensing fuel using tampered fuel pumps would face significant sanctions.
These penalties could involve actions such as revoking their operating licenses, suspending operations, or even shutting them down, depending on the severity of the offense.
He emphasized that the adjustment of fuel pumps by filling station operators is a major concern for both oil regulatory bodies and the Federal Government.
He explained, “Currently, we have some of our staff conducting on-the-spot inspections of several petrol stations. When you visit a station, it’s impossible to know if you’ve been cheated until you measure the quantity of fuel received.”
Ahmed further elaborated that they sometimes perform physical measurements by purchasing one liter of fuel at select stations and scrutinizing the accuracy of the measurement to check for pump tampering.
The head of NMDPRA emphasized the authority’s commitment to collaborating with RMAFC to boost revenue for the federation. He noted that this collaboration focuses on areas to enhance revenue generation or reduce costs.
He then encouraged citizens to consider investing in the midstream sector of the economy, particularly in areas like gas plants, promising that the authority would provide guidelines and policies to facilitate such investments.