The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, NMDPRA has taken decisive action in Calabar, shutting down three petrol stations for overcharging customers and using faulty meters to dispense fuel.
The crackdown is part of a broader effort by the NMDPRA to ensure that consumers are not exploited and that fuel distribution remains fair and transparent across the state.
The crackdown targeted several stations in the state capital, Calabar, as the NMDPRA’s South-South Regional Coordinator, Comfort Ajayi, delivered a strong warning to marketers, stating that any station found cheating the public will face severe penalties.
Ajayi also addressed the widespread issue of fuel hoarding and illegal sales in jerrycans, which she identified as a major cause of artificial scarcity and cross-border smuggling.
She assured residents that the NMDPRA is taking steps to clean up the sector, and protect consumers.
In the meantime, truck drivers have voiced their frustrations over long wait time to load fuel at depots despite assurances from depot managers that operations are running smoothly and fuel is being dispensed without hoarding.
The NMDPRA’s crackdown is part of a broader initiative to sanitize the downstream sector, and restore consumer confidence in the availability and pricing of petroleum products, in Cross River State and beyond.
