The Enugu State Government on Friday warned petrol marketers against the fraudulent manipulation of their petrol metres to exploit motorists and other consumers of the product.
Condemning the upsurge in fuel metre manipulations that had increasingly becoming a norm, the government described it as criminal.
The State Commissioner for Special Duties, Mr Emeka Ajogwu, gave the warning during an unscheduled visit to some petrol stations in Enugu metropolis to ascertain the alleged metre manipulation by filling station owners.
Ajogwu appealed to the leadership of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), to rein in members who are exploiting consumers in the state through deliberate manipulation of their metres while dispensing fuel inaccurately.
While lamenting the alarming situation, revealed that all the stations visited, that none had an accurate metering system, including the major distributing stations.
Ajogwu, who addressed journalists shortly after the inspection, said promised that the government will ensure that filling stations comply with accurate metering system henceforth or such stations would be shut down. “The government cannot sit back and watch its residents exploited in this crazy manner”.
According to him, “the government has been inundated with complaints from residents and motorists in the state over the way petrol stations have continued to shortchange them despite the high cost of the product. This actually informed the decision to visit stations for confirmation.”
Ajogwu said that appropriate authorities would be set up to deal against erring dealers, wondering why petrol station owners would exploit buyers.
According to him, “Over 20 filing stations visited adjusted their metres and sold between N600- N620 per litre, respectively. It was confirmed that for every 20 litres of petrol bought, consumers were shortchanged ₦768.60, ₦702, ₦682.00, ₦575 ₦441.60, ₦480, ₦256.2 respectively.”
The commissioner, who was accompanied by other government officials, cautioned the station managers and directed them to re-adjust their metres to the accurate metering system.
He said the monitoring will be a regular exercise, assuring that the state government will come up with commensurate punishment against defaulters.
Some customers who witnessed the exercise commended the state government for the steps taken and appealed that the action should be on regular basis, stressing that they had suffered untold hardships in the hands of some filing stations.
“We are not getting value for our money. These people are manipulating us. We have protested against this injustice but nothing positive has come out of it. I am glad government is taking a decisive step to end this manipulation,” a commercial bus driver, Emeka Obinna, said.