FG Forewarns Fuel Station Proprietors Against Pump Alteration

The Federal Government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has decreed its intent to penalize purveyors of fuel stations detected in the act of disbursing fuel through calibrated petroleum dispensers.

FRESHREPORTERS gathered according to News Agency of Nigeria has relayed that this announcement was made by the NMDPRA’s Executive, Mr. Farouk Ahmed, during a convivial rendezvous with commissioners hailing from the Revenue Mobilisation Allocation and Fiscal Commission (RMAFC) on the Friday that just passed in Abuja.

Per Mr. Ahmed, petrol stations in violation found dispensing fuel via altered fuel dispensing apparatus shall be subjected to severe punitive measures, encompassing the forfeiture of operational licenses, suspension of operations, or in instances of egregious transgressions, forced cessation of activities.

The bane of petroleum dispenser calibration tampering orchestrated by fuel station proprietors reverberates as a disconcerting quandary, not only to the governing bodies overseeing oil matters but also to the Federal Government.

Ahmed divulged further that NMDPRA operatives have undertaken sporadic on-site inspections of filling stations countrywide to ascertain whether their fuel dispensing mechanisms have undergone illicit manipulation.

In his articulation, he stated, “Our current modus operandi involves deploying our personnel on incognito visits to assorted petrol emporiums. “When you roll into an establishment, subsequently withdrawing, the veracity of your transaction remains a conundrum until a measurement is undertaken. “On occasion, we resort to physical gauging, whereupon we patronize select establishments, procuring a solitary liter of fuel and conducting a meticulous evaluation of the surrounding milieu to adjudge the veracity of the volumetric measure. Thereafter, we ascertain whether any adulteration has been inflicted upon the fuel dispensing apparatus.”

NMDPRA’s synergistic endeavors with RMAFC in revenue augmentation Furthermore, the chieftain of NMDPRA expounded that the regulatory body will sustain its collaborative rapport with the RMAFC, with the intent of augmenting revenue streams for the federation. He expounded:

“The overture to this collaboration has been unfurled, albeit in a preliminary guise. It coheres to the tenets of fostering collaboration in arenas where opportunities exist for the augmentation of the federation’s revenue streams. “There exist two prongs to this deliberation, one being the optimization of revenue inflow, while the other entails expenditure mitigation.”

In response, the RMAFC’s helmsman, Mr. Bello Shehu, underscored that the engagement between these two entities is designed to bolster their alliance in the realm of revenue augmentation and the vigilance of fuel station proprietors’ undertakings.

He enunciated, “We are assembled here for the enlightenment that the authority can impart concerning its operational purview and how our commission might be of service, thereby facilitating the amplification of revenue generation for the Nigerian state. “Our fervent interest lies in comprehending the operational dynamics of the authority, enabling us to engage in more incisive scrutiny and pose pertinent interrogatives, ultimately yielding the dispensation of apt information.”

A clarion call for citizens’ investment in the midstream domain Mr. Ahmed implored Nigerian denizens to contemplate investments in the midstream sector of the economy. He proffered that aspirants foraying into this territory could avail themselves of the agency’s guidance and regulatory framework.

Furthermore, he espoused that NMDPRA stands prepared to steer citizens towards propitious investment avenues while proffering clarity regarding the associated pecuniary commitments.”…[CONTINUE READING HERE]>>