NMDPRA warns IPMAN members against pump under-dispensing

The Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Thursday warned members Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Ogun State against infractions, including pump under-dispensing and operating without approval. The authority also threatened to begin shutting down of stations without valid permits from next month. The NMDPRA State Coordinator, Akinyemi Atilola, handed […]

The Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) on Thursday warned members Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Ogun State against infractions, including pump under-dispensing and operating without approval.

The authority also threatened to begin shutting down of stations without valid permits from next month.

The NMDPRA State Coordinator, Akinyemi Atilola, handed down the warning on Thursday, in Abeokuta, during a special enlightenment and stakeholder engagement with the IPMAN executives, Mosimi.

The executive members were led by the Chairman, Chief Salimon Ajayi, popularly known as Rantipe.

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Atilola maintained that there is the need for the customers to get value for their money, declaring that a penalty will be meted out to erring stations according to the number of fuel pumps sealed.

“I am not a vanguard of using money as a consequence or correctional measure, rather it should be the last employment of consequence management.

“However, as I came here, I found out that many of the under-dispensing were just based on per location, per station, per plant which means that if I close down your station because you are under – dispensing, and I decommission your pumps, it’s only N100,000 you come here to pay. No. That’s not what is going to happen now.

“You will pay according to the number of pumps that have been sealed. So, if five of your pumps are being decommissioned, you are paying N500,000 because the law says N100,000 per pump.

“As an executive of IPMAN, please tell your members to work on their calibration, it’s value for money. Make sure 10 litres is 10 litres,” he said.

He also warned against delay in the renewal of permits, use of consultants by IPMAN members as well as what he called poor housekeeping.

Atitola told the IPMAN executives that implementation of the latest directive on the truck loading capacity exceeding 60,000 litres will begin from March 1.

The State Coordinator described the NMDPRA as an enabler of businesses and not killer, adding that the authority remains committed to driving the five cardinal points of the present administration.

“The five cardinal points of the Federal Government are, the FG wants to see the growth in SMEs, they want to see that there is eradication of poverty in the land, they want to see that a lot of people are being employed. The use of gas for expansion and utilisation and the growth of our industries.

“Those are the five cardinal points of this administration and we have to follow suit,” he said.

The IPMAN applauded the NMDPRA for organising the stakeholder engagement and assured the authority of the members’ cooperation to ensure security of fuel supply.

“We will cooperate with you, and stand by you to succeed,” Rantipe said.