The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has sealed two filling stations in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, for under-dispensing petroleum products to motorists and other members of the public.

The sealed facilities are MRS Filling Station on Azikiwe Road and Stageoil Filling Station along Aba Road, both in Port Harcourt.

The NMDPRA team also inspected other filling stations during the exercise, including the NNPC Mega Filling Station located at Lagos Bus Stop in the old Port Harcourt Township, Reinoil, TotalEnergies and NNPC Filling Station in Trans Amadi.

The action followed a routine surveillance and enforcement exercise conducted by the NMDPRA in the metropolis yesterday to ascertain the quantity and quality of petroleum products dispensed by retail outlets, as well as compliance with safety standards.

Speaking to newsmen after the exercise, the NMDPRA Executive Director, Health, Safety, Environment and Community, Dr Mustapha Lamorde, said the inspection was aimed at protecting consumers from being short-changed by filling station owners and operators.

Lamorde said the authority conducted checks on the quantity of products dispensed, their quality and the safety of the retail outlets.

“What we did in the field basically is three things: one, to look at the quantity that you’re buying fuel and its relative to what you are selling and the quantity.

“Also the quality of the product you’re buying, whether it is fit for purpose, whether it is on spec and in conformance with our national quality specification. And importantly, the safety of the operation of the retail outlets,” he stated.

Lamorde further said the surveillance covered petroleum products including Premium Motor Spirit, Automotive Gas Oil, also known as diesel, and DPK, otherwise known as kerosene.

He added that samples were randomly taken for on-the-spot screening as part of the authority’s evidence-based regulatory process.

“Some of the retail outlets are actually under-dispensing. And you can see that what we did immediately is to seal off some of these retail outlets, and then the necessary regulatory action will follow, basically sanctions and all that,” he said.

Lamorde, however, revealed that the inspection found that one of the filling stations visited was over-dispensing without knowing it, directing the operator to stop sales and recalibrate its pump before resuming operations to prevent further losses.

He stated that stations found to be compliant were encouraged to maintain the standard, emphasising that the ultimate objective was to ensure that Nigerians got exactly what they paid for.

“The end game for Nigerians, for consumers, is to make sure that they get what they are paying for. If you’re buying fuel, you get the quantity that you’re paying for. Secondly, you get the quality, which is very, very important for your health, for the environment and also for your vehicle,” Lamorde said.