The Katsina State Controller of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), Umar Muhammad, on Thursday led an operation that ended in sealing of five petroleum stations in the North-West for safety violations and under-dispensing fuel.
According to the controller, the operation was meant to ensure compliance with standards and to protect consumers’ rights.
The routine enforcement exercise focuses on petrol stations whose operational licenses are expired and failed to renew the licenses as mandated by regulatory authorities.
Most of the affected filling stations were caught carrying out sharp practices such as under-dispensing of fuel, short-changing customers by delivering less than the standard litre, and for lack of safety equipment including fire extinguishers and other essential tools.
The affected petroleum stations includes:-
Total Petrol Station
A.A. Rano
Ashafa Petrol
Maje Gas
Gwagware International Petroleum Ltd.
The controller used the opportunity to warn other filling stations against diverting petroleum products allocated to them, stating that any filling station found culpable would be dealt with, in line with the laid-down rules.
In his own words he said “We will not condone any act which is not in line with the rules and guidelines governing operations of filling stations in the state.”
He restated the authority’s commitment to maintain safety and transparency in the downstream petroleum sector, emphasising that similar operations would be carried out across the state to uphold regulatory standards and safeguard consumer interests.