Consumers Decry Adjusted Fuel Pumps

Petroleum products consumers in Port Harcourt and its environs have decried the rate at which filling station operators have adjusted their fuel pumps in a way that heavily short-charges their customers.

Some of the consumers who spoke to The Tide on the issue said that the filling station operators especially those of the independent marketers have so adjusted their pumps to the extent that the value of what one gets can not be compared to the price paid for the product.

Speaking on the matter, a consumer, Mr Eze Okwelle, explained that most private or independent filling stations and those that are on franchise with NNPC are ripping-off the public with their adjusted dispensing meters.

He said that most times, when he goes to buy fuel with a four litre keg, that even when some sell above the approved pump price of N97 per litre, but that a N500 fuel that can give him at least four to five litres will end up at the 2.5 litre guage.

According to him “some sell at N120 per litre, but even at that, when you buy fuel of N500, thinking you will get up to normal four litres, you will notice that the four litre jerican is just half and I wonder why it must be so”.

Eze accused most filling stations along the East-West Road, particularly within the Rumuosi-Choba axis of indulging in  the same practice, and expressed anger that the situation is getting out of hand.

On his part, Mr Clement Obinna said that the situation is like a gang-up against the consuming public as these filling station operators are aware of the situation, but are taking advantage of the unstable supply of fuel and the instability in electricity supply to exploit the consuming public.

He expressed disappointment on the part of those that are supposed to monitor the operations of these petrol stations, the Directorate of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the state Ministry of Energy, who have failed to do their work.

Obinna called for mass action and protest against petrol stations who are engaged in this, adding that the consumer protection council should also wake up to this task, so as to protect the consumers.

When The Tide visited one of the petrol stations in Rumuosi-Akpor, area fingered to be one of those indulged in the practice, one of the attendants said that they sell a litre of fuel at N110 and that they sell based on what they buy, so as to make profit.

She denied any allegation of metre adjustments.

Corlins Walter