Five major ways fuel stations cheat the public
The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), on Monday, said 39 erring filling stations were sanctioned in Lagos in February for engaging in sharp practices in dispensing petroleum products.
Below are ways filling stations across the country have been discovered to cheat the public:
Under-dispensing:
Nigerians are short-changed by as much as N1.74 billion every day from the purchase of PMS, otherwise known as petrol, by filling stations across the country due to under-dispensing of the product.
Based on statistics obtained from the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), which estimated that daily consumption of petrol in Nigeria is 40 million litres, it means the stations under-dispense as much as 12 million litres of petrol to motorists daily.
At N145 per litre, this comes to N1.74 billion being paid by motorists for petrol that they are not served.
DPR boss, Akinyosoye has said the agency would not hesitate to clampdown on any filling station found cheating the public.
Hoarding:
Many Nigerians’ time are wasted on queues whenever there is fuel scarcity. Fuel scarcity is caused by unscrupulous marketers who hoard petroleum product.
Some fuel stations hoard fuel in anticipation of perceived increase in price of petroleum product.
There is an ongoing monitoring of filling stations in Ibadan and Abeokuta axis which was part of government’s measures of ensuring constant supply of petroleum products across the nation.
Selling above pump price:
The Department of Petroleum Resources, on Monday, confirmed it has caught and sanctioned over 10 petrol stations in Kaduna state despite the increase in the daily supply of petrol to Kaduna state and environs by the NNPC.
Despite the warning by the DPR to sanction any marketer selling above N145 per litre, the product is still being sold as high as N190 per litre in some stations.
Adjusted pumps by marketers:
Some petroleum marketers especially in the rural areas adjust their dispensing pumps or sell above the government approved pump price to exploit their customers and make more profit.
Enlightened customers in the rural areas express frustration that despite not benefiting from lower global oil prices, they were still being short-changed by adjusted pumps by marketers.
Sabotaging government’s efforts:
Lagos alone boasts of 9,039 registered retail outlets, some of the outlets often adjust their pumps to deliver above cap price.
Whenever they sense DPR’s presence in their area, they comply but subsequently go back to hike the price.
DPR in a statement has called on the general public to ensure they obtain receipts for the purchase from such retail outlets.
DPR has started expending efforts to bring erring marketers to book through imposition of fines and suspensions in line with extant regulations.
