Yemisi Izuora
The Weights and Measures Department of the Federal Ministry of Trade and Investment has sealed five dispensing pumps of NNPC Station Wuse II, Abuja for under dispensing petroleum products to customers.
This was discovered during the inspection of filing stations carried out by the Weights and Measures Department led by its Ag. Director, Engr. Mohammed Sidi in Abuja.
During the inspection at the NNPC filing station Wuse II it was discovered that the dispensing pumps at the station short-changed customers from their five dispensing pump by 3.22 litres for every 20 litres of PMS (16.78 as 20 litres) while others dispensing pumps dispensed 16.62 litres, 17.28 litres and 16.97 litres for every 20 litres .
Other filing stations inspected by the team were Conoil Area 1, AYM SHAFA Ltd, Apo Gudu, NNPC Apo Gudu II and Advanced Link fuel station where one or two dispensing pumps were sealed for re-calibration and others where within tolerance level stipulated by law.
The Ag: Director, Weights and Measures, Engr. Mohammed Sidi while addressing journalists at the NNPC station said that it was extremely disappointing that motorist were being short changed at the filing station and that the department will continue to embark on such exercise in order to established that marketers conform with fairness and standards.
He said that the objective of the inspection was to checkmate unscrupulous businessmen from unfair trade practices and safeguard the interest of consumers with the recent downward review of pump price of petroleum to N87.
Engr. Sidi pointed out that adequate sanction would be imposed on filling station that short changed customers adding that the reduction of the fuel price by the government was put in place to reduce suffering of the masses.
In his words, “In the case of the sealed fuel pumps, the errors found on the pumps were in excess of 2 litres on every 20 litres delivered. Such cases attract revocation of the current certificate of verification pending the re-calibration exercise before such equipment could be put to use for trade again after reverification.
“we would not relent on our official duty to ensure that marketers conform to integrity, fairness and accuracy in dispensing PMS to customers. We shall continue to use media to educate marketers and the general public so that they would be alert to the need to become conscious of measurement and standards as law prescribed.”
The verification certificate is mandatory for every marketer to possess for its equipment which is valid for a year and it is usually issued after dispensing pumps had been tested and found to be accurate but due to their nature and a bid to maximize profit some marketers do readjust their meter to short-changed motorists.