Alhaji Saidu Muhammed, the Spokesperson for the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Abuja Zonal office says all the petroleum products imported into the country are of the right standard and quality. Muhammed told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja that all imported petroleum products were subjected to checks. “We have our laboratories where these products are being checked before they are discharged.
“To the best of our knowledge, we have not received or detected any fake product in the laboratory,’’ he said.
Muhammed said the DPR had received complaints from people that some filling stations were under dispensing and the DPR had always acted according to the law.
“Those filling stations found under dispensing, thereby making people to pay N200 per liter on each of their pumps would be sealed for a minimum of two months.
“We have been doing this and we will continue to do this to ensure efficiency in the system,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, some motorists in the Federal Capital Territory had complained that most of the Premium Motor Spirit being dispensed by some filling stations was of low quality.
A cross section of those who spoke with NAN said the products burnt up faster in the vehicle. Mrs Ngozika Atani, a resident of FCT said, “I usually fill my car tank every week, but I noticed that now, one full tank that used to last for weeks now stays for three to four days only’’.
“I think something is wrong somewhere, it looks like the fuel is not a good one.
“I don’t want to believe that we will increase the price of fuel and they still import low quality fuel for us.’’
Mr Emos Adamu, a taxi driver in Abuja said that apart from the fuel being light, some filling stations under dispensed the product.
“I was using about N2,000 fuel per day for my business in the past, but now with N4,000 at half day the fuel is exhausted.
“I think apart from the fuel that the fuel burns out fast, the pumps are not good,’’ he said.
Another motorist in Abuja, Mrs Victoria omeje said that in four days, she spent about N28,000 in fueling her car. “I went to a mechanic to check my car to see if something was wrong with the way the car was consuming fuel.
“He told me that it was the light fuel I bought. I agreed with him because even with the new pump price, I have not experienced it this way,” she said.
Mr Godswill Ezieke said the rate at which the fuel was burning out in the vehicle was alarming.
“I think government should ensure that there are adequate checks on the kind of products imported into the country.
“Now it burns fast, it may be worse when it starts affecting car engines.’’
He said that there was a time when different categories of PMS were sold at different prices in the country.
This, he advised should be re introduced to enable people make a choice of the kind of product to buy.
Meanwhile, the Vice President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAM), Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi told NAN that the association had not received such complaints.
He said that every product imported by IPMAN had always been screened by DPR.
“The product we import is being tested and approved by DPR, we have not received any complaint about the poor quality of products being sold by our members.
“IPMAN is a law abiding organisation, no member of this association will import anything that is below the quality approved by the DPR.’’ (NAN)
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