THERE are indications of increasing incidents of manipulation of pumps at filling stations by petrol attendants and their collaborators aimed at cheating consumers of Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol, amounting to millions of litres yearly.
According to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA, Nigerians consume 50 million litres of petrol daily.
But checks by Financial Vanguard revealed that the regulator, NMDPRA does not inspect these petrol stations to ascertain compliance with the rules of the game, in terms of checking functional dispensing machines and other malpractices by marketers.
Financial Vanguard’s findings showed that many pump attendants, who dispense petroleum products increasingly cheat consumers through pump manipulation and other sharp practices.
The checks indicated that the attendants earn meagre wages, as little as N20,000 monthly, and are pushed by abject poverty and the current hardship in Nigeria to extort customers.
Billed N22,000 for N20,000 petrol
Recounting a recent incident in Lagos, Badmus Samami, a victim, said: “I recently drove to a major filling station, located at Iyana Isolo in Lagos to buy petrol at N20,000 with my Automated Teller Machine, ATM card. After dispensing, I paid and insisted on getting a receipt. The attendant gave all reasons, including lack of a paper to print, for not providing the receipt.
VANGUARD.
