The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) has sealed eight petroleum retail outlets in Warri and environs.

The coordinator in Delta, Victor Ohwodiasa, disclosed this to journalists on Tuesday in Warri.

Mr Ohwodiasa said that retail outlets were shut down on Sunday over offences bordering on under-dispensing, operating without valid licenses, poor safety culture and poor housekeeping.

He said that the erring petrol stations were located at Ifiekporo, Ughoton, Ubeji, Effurun/Sapele Road and Ovwian community in the Udu LGA.

The coordinator said that the routine surveillance exercise was part of the regulatory authority’s core mandate of ensuring motorists and other petroleum product users got the right quality and quantity for their money.

Mr Ohwodiasa said that the authority had realised that operators of the retail outlets adjust their metres during weekends and declared that the authority would continue to go after them.

“These facilities have been sanctioned and appropriate penalties will be meted out to them in line with the procedural guidelines of the NMDPRA. Some of them are first offenders and that notwithstanding, they will still face the wrath of the law. We have told them that we are keeping data on infringements.

“If they commit further offences, the punishment will be stiffer to serve as a deterrent to others. The essence is not for punitive but, of course, corrective measures,” he said.

Mr Ohwodiasa appealed to the public to always avail themselves of the NMDPRA, Warri, and information whenever they notice sharp practices by petroleum marketers.

“We urged the public to reach out to us whenever they notice issues of under-dispensing, poor housekeeping, unsafe practices, poor quality of products and among others.

“Customers should get value for their money. They should get exactly what they are paying for. There could be mechanical errors in the dispensing machine, which the authority has created an allowance for.

“Any mechanical deviation that is outside the normal range will attract the appropriate sanction to the erring filling station,” he declared.

The coordinator noted that it was the duty of the station owners to pay the charges resulting from the use of PoS and not the customers.

(NAN)