Government agency seals two filling stations in Akwa Ibom

“To operate under the downstream sector, you must have current licenses. Without current licenses, you cannot go to any depot and load any product.”

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Resources Authority has sealed two filling stations in Akwa Ibom State for alleged diversion of Petroleum products between August and October.

Ikechukwu Eseka, the agency’s coordinator, stated this when the officials of the State Petroleum Products Monitoring Committee visited him on Wednesday in Eket.

He said that most marketers divert petroleum products after getting them from the depot to shortchange the federal government.

Mr Eseka said that most of the diversion takes place in the periphery, adding that some filling stations are not registered nor licensed in the state.

He urged depot owners not to sell products to filling stations without licensing their stations in the state.

“To operate under the downstream sector, you must have current licenses. Without current licenses, you cannot go to any depot and load any product.

“I didn’t promise to partner with the committee; rather, the Authority welcomed all organisations who wish to partner with it under the guidance of the Authority,” Mr Eseka said.

He said that his agency is a regulatory body saddled with the responsibility of downstream and upstream of the petroleum sector.

Mr Eseka explained that petroleum products are on the exclusive list, which means that the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Resources Authority is solely in charge of anything related to petroleum products.

He warned marketers to desist from diverting petroleum products to another destination, adding that if caught, they would face the full wrath of the law.

Earlier, Godwin Ekpo, the chairperson of the Akwa Ibom Petroleum Products Monitoring Committee, called for collaboration between his committee and the regulatory body.

“We want to synergise and collaborate to achieve the objective which the team was set up by Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom.

“Our duty is not to regulate the price of petroleum products. The market force determines the price,” Ekpo said.

The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the committee was inaugurated on 12 October by Governor Eno.