THERE are strong indications that Nigerians may have lost over N200 billion to fuel under-dispensing in three months.
Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that on every one litre of fuel bought at filling stations, Nigerians lose at least N5.82k on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise called petrol.
Statistics obtained from the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) put daily consumption of petrol at 38.298 million litres.
When computed, a total of 3,446,820,000 litres of petrol are consumed in three months (90 days).
Moreso, statistics from the Weight and Measures department of Trade and Investment Ministry revealed that most fuel-pumps have been adjusted to dispense between 18.8 and 19.2 litres of petrol in place of 20 litres to short-change unsuspecting consumers. On the average, 18.8 litres are dispensed as 20 litres.
By implication, 0.94 litre of petrol is dispensed as 1 litre and this means Nigerians are paying N97 per litre of petrol for every N91.18k worth of petrol purchased.
If we multiply the N5.82k (N97-N91.18k) excess payment on every litre purchased by3,446,820,000 litres, then Nigerians would have lost a total sum of N20,060,492,400.00k to under-dispensing in three months.
In a telephone chat, a staff of Weight and Measures department of Ministry of Trade and Investment who preferred anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter told W on Saturday that each time the department embark on inspection, almost all filling stations visited were guilty of this act. “We use 20 litres as a standard measurement. Some dispense 19.2 litres as 20 litres to unsuspected motorists. Other pumps may be dispensing 18.4 litres, 18.8 litres, 19.0 litres as 20 litres.
“We are only empowered to seal these pumps until they bring their engineers to re-adjust it. It does not mean if we go there the next day, the pumps will dispense correct measurement,” he said.
When asked what the government can do to arrest the situation, he opined that the government may resort to revocation of license as the last resort after several warning.
The Nigerian Tribune later interviewed some fuel attendants, motorists and filling station dealers.
“We are not the ones adjusting the pumps; it was the engineers appointed by the management to do so at night. At the close of business hours, the supervisor knows what he is expecting as ‘profit’ and there is no way we can change that,” said a fuel attendant at MRS filling station situated along Lagos-Abeokuta expressway who pleaded anonymity.
A motorist, Mike Chukwuka, blamed the society for the problem. “You need to ask these fuel attendants what they are earning as salary. Their salary ranges between N8000 and N12000 per month. I’m sure they cannot survive on such meager earning, may be that is why they are tampering with the fuel pumps to short-change us,” he said.
The Managing Director, NIPCo Plc, Mr. Venkataraman Venkatapathy, told Nigerian Tribune recently that his company has created a special task force team to conduct checks on all its pumps on regular basis. He warned that any dealer found wanting would have its license revoked. He said the company decided to do this to ensure its customers enjoy what they pay for and not cheated in anyways.
TRIBUNE
Investigations by the Nigerian Tribune revealed that on every one litre of fuel bought at filling stations, Nigerians lose at least N5.82k on Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) otherwise called petrol.
Statistics obtained from the Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) put daily consumption of petrol at 38.298 million litres.
When computed, a total of 3,446,820,000 litres of petrol are consumed in three months (90 days).
Moreso, statistics from the Weight and Measures department of Trade and Investment Ministry revealed that most fuel-pumps have been adjusted to dispense between 18.8 and 19.2 litres of petrol in place of 20 litres to short-change unsuspecting consumers. On the average, 18.8 litres are dispensed as 20 litres.
By implication, 0.94 litre of petrol is dispensed as 1 litre and this means Nigerians are paying N97 per litre of petrol for every N91.18k worth of petrol purchased.
If we multiply the N5.82k (N97-N91.18k) excess payment on every litre purchased by3,446,820,000 litres, then Nigerians would have lost a total sum of N20,060,492,400.00k to under-dispensing in three months.
In a telephone chat, a staff of Weight and Measures department of Ministry of Trade and Investment who preferred anonymity because he was not authorised to speak on the matter told W on Saturday that each time the department embark on inspection, almost all filling stations visited were guilty of this act. “We use 20 litres as a standard measurement. Some dispense 19.2 litres as 20 litres to unsuspected motorists. Other pumps may be dispensing 18.4 litres, 18.8 litres, 19.0 litres as 20 litres.
“We are only empowered to seal these pumps until they bring their engineers to re-adjust it. It does not mean if we go there the next day, the pumps will dispense correct measurement,” he said.
When asked what the government can do to arrest the situation, he opined that the government may resort to revocation of license as the last resort after several warning.
The Nigerian Tribune later interviewed some fuel attendants, motorists and filling station dealers.
“We are not the ones adjusting the pumps; it was the engineers appointed by the management to do so at night. At the close of business hours, the supervisor knows what he is expecting as ‘profit’ and there is no way we can change that,” said a fuel attendant at MRS filling station situated along Lagos-Abeokuta expressway who pleaded anonymity.
A motorist, Mike Chukwuka, blamed the society for the problem. “You need to ask these fuel attendants what they are earning as salary. Their salary ranges between N8000 and N12000 per month. I’m sure they cannot survive on such meager earning, may be that is why they are tampering with the fuel pumps to short-change us,” he said.
The Managing Director, NIPCo Plc, Mr. Venkataraman Venkatapathy, told Nigerian Tribune recently that his company has created a special task force team to conduct checks on all its pumps on regular basis. He warned that any dealer found wanting would have its license revoked. He said the company decided to do this to ensure its customers enjoy what they pay for and not cheated in anyways.
TRIBUNE
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