How attendants manipulate pumps, extort petrol consumers nationwide

1 month ago 17

DPR seals 4 petrol stations successful Katsina for selling supra approved price

•I was billed N22,000 for N20,000 petrol — Victim

•Cheating usually aggravated during scarcity — motorist

•NMDPRA lacks capable personnel, absent astatine filling stations

By Udeme Akpan, Energy Editor, Emma Amaize, Regional Editor, Egufe Yafugborhi, Ozioruva Aliu, Emma Unah, Ike Uchechukwu, Emem Idio, and Ochuko Akuopha, Marie-Therese Nanlong, Dayo Johnson, Rotimi Ojomoyela, Adeola Badru and Adeola Badru

THERE are indications of expanding incidents of manipulation of pumps astatine filling stations by petrol attendants and their collaborators aimed astatine cheating consumers of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, besides known arsenic petrol, amounting to millions of litres yearly.

According to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, Nigerians devour 50 cardinal litres of petrol daily.

But checks by Financial Vanguard revealed that the regulator, NMDPRA does not inspect these petrol stations to ascertain compliance with the rules of the game, successful presumption of checking functional dispensing machines and different malpractices by marketers.

Financial Vanguard’s findings showed that galore pump attendants, who dispense petroleum products progressively cheat consumers done pump manipulation and different crisp practices.

The checks indicated that the attendants gain meagre wages, arsenic small arsenic N20,000 monthly, and are pushed by abject poorness and the existent hardship successful Nigeria to extort customers.

Billed N22,000 for N20,000 petrol

Recounting a caller incidental successful Lagos, Badmus Samami, a victim, said: “I precocious drove to a large filling station, located astatine Iyana Isolo successful Lagos to bargain petrol astatine N20,000 with my Automated Teller Machine, ATM card. After dispensing, I paid and insisted connected getting a receipt. The attendant gave each reasons, including deficiency of a insubstantial to print, for not providing the receipt.

“I inactive insisted and galore radical that gathered supported me. Eventually, I was fixed the receipt showing that N22,000 was taken from my account. The attendant apologised, adding that it was an error. I judge that happened due to the fact that of distraction astatine the constituent of purchase. Some attendants tin bash each kinds of things, including blocking you from viewing what they are doing and presenting different items for you to bargain successful bid to origin confusion.”

Similarly, John Theophilus, a motorist, said: “There is simply a filling presumption on Oshodi I often patronised but erstwhile I suspected that attendants had ways of manipulating the pumps to nether dispense the merchandise straight into my tank, I decided to usage a 25-litre jerry tin to buy.

“One day, the filling presumption metre showed that they supplied maine with 25 liters of the merchandise but it did not fill-up. I insisted that the jerry tin should beryllium filled earlier paying. After each the arguments that attracted galore people, the attendant complied and I paid.”