The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority on Friday sealed 11 petrol filling stations in Rivers State for engaging in sharp practices, including under-dispensing products to the public, using failed pumps, and other regulatory infractions.

The affected petrol stations are located in Obio-Akpor and Port Harcourt City Local Government Areas of the state.

The Regional Coordinator, South-South of the NMDPRA, Victor Owodiasa, disclosed this while speaking to newsmen after the enforcement exercise.

Owodiasa said the operation was carried out under the authority’s ongoing ‘Operation One Litre for One Litre’ surveillance initiative.

He explained that the operation is aimed at protecting consumers and ensuring that members of the public receive full value for their money when purchasing petroleum products.

“In exercise of our regulatory mandate, we have decided to upscale our surveillance activities and to ensure that the general public gets one litre for one litre. It is either you’re dispensing within the bandwidth or we shut you down to correct the pump to do the needful.

“So far so good, for the operation of today a total of eleven facilities were sealed and they will remain sealed until the integrity of those pumps is confirmed okay before we unseal them”, he stated.

Owodiasa however said, “However, it is not just for them to correct it and we unseal it. If we discover that some of them have become persistent or perpetual offenders we will be left with no option but to recommend revocation of their licences.”

The NMDPRA South-South coordinator also said any petrol station selling outside the bandwidth will face sanctions, saying the same treatment goes for both liquid (petrol) and gas.

Owodiasa continued, “For gas what we are doing for liquid is the same thing we are doing for gas. So they should try as much as possible to operate within the confines of the law. The industry is under regulation and as such if they are expected to sell to the public they are also not expected to cheat them.

“Cheating the public willfully or unwillfully, I’m using the word unwillfully because at times it could be a result of mechanical error. However, they should also ensure that they check their meters themselves. It is not when the regulator comes to check that we discover that the meters are either under-dispensing or over-dispensing.”

He emphasised that the authority has zero tolerance for over-dispensing, under-dispensing and any form of infringement, saying, “We will not tolerate them cheating the public.”

The PUNCH reported that three gas dispensing outlets were also sealed for under-dispensing to consumers.

Owodiasa called on members of the public to partner with the authority by reporting any suspected cases of infractions for prompt action.