The Eket Field Office of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), has sealed five petrol stations in Akwa Ibom State for alleged diversion and under-dispensing of petroleum products.
The Coordinator of NMDPRA in the state, Mr. Ikechukwu Eseka, disclosed this while speaking with newsmen in Uyo on Thursday after a routine surveillance operation.
According to him, one of the affected stations, owned by Mr. Godwin Ekpo, Chairman of the Akwa Ibom Petroleum Products Monitoring Committee, was shut down for operating without a valid license.
Eseka said the station’s activities raised questions about the source of its petroleum products.
“If a station is not licensed, the source of the products being sold is questionable. This is a clear case of diversion of about 15,000 litres of petrol. How did they get the product? We have a ‘no license, no loading’ directive in place,” he stated.
He further revealed that four other petrol stations located within Uyo metropolis were sealed for various infractions, including poor housekeeping, unapproved structural modifications, and under-dispensing of fuel.
Eseka added that the affected outlets would remain sealed until they met the conditions stipulated by the Federal Government.
