The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited announced on Sunday that it has launched an inquiry into an incident in which an attendant at one of its retail stations advised customers that they needed to buy lubricants or engine oil before they could purchase Premium Motor Spirit, also known as petrol.
It noted the attendant had said that this was a mandate from the management of NNPC Retail, NNPC Group’s downstream division in charge of filling station operations.
This was disclosed in a statement by its spokesperson, Olufemi Soneye, in Abuja.
The statement read in part, “The attention of NNPC Retail Limited has been drawn to a recent video clip making rounds on social media (X to be precise) concerning a fuel pump attendant in one of NNPC filling stations.
“In the said video, customers were coerced to purchase lubricants or engine oil as a prerequisite for purchasing or dispensing Premium Motor Spirit. Still in the video, the attendant alleged that this was a directive from NNPC Retail management.
“NNPC Retail wishes to state unequivocally that the allegation is entirely false and does not represent the company’s customer service charter. At all NNPC Retail filling stations, customers are not obligated to purchase lubricants, engine oil, or other products as a precursor to buying petrol.”
Meanwhile, the Managing Director, NNPC Retail Ltd, Huub Stokman, said the oil firm had no such policies.
“We are dedicated to providing clear, transparent, and quality service to all our customers, guaranteeing that their needs are met without any recourse to unnecessary and unscrupulous conditions,” Stokman stated.
The company added “Public is hereby advised to disregard the information in its entirety and report any such occurrences to the appropriate authority.
“In the meantime, NNPC Retail Limited has launched an investigation into the unfortunate incident and assures that appropriate disciplinary action will be taken against the culprit(s).”
Motorists frequently visit NNPC retail stations due to the lower rates of PMS at these locations.
