The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Resources Authority (NMDPRA), has sealed two filling stations for diversion of Petroleum products between August and October in the state.
Mr Ikechukwu Eseka, the Coordinator of NMDPRA stated this when officials of the State Petroleum Products Monitoring Committee (PPMC), visited him on Wednesday in Eket.
He said that most marketers divert petroleum products after getting the products from the depot in order to shortchange the Federal Government.
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.
The coordinator urged depot owners not to sell products to filling stations without licensing their stations in the state.
“Every marketer divert petroleum products, 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,” Eseka said.
He said that NMDPRA was a regulatory body saddle with the responsibility of downstream and upstream in the entire value chain functions as an Authority.
Eseka explained that Petroleum products falls into exclusive list, which means that anything that happens to petroleum products, NMDPRA is solely in charge.
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, Mr Godwin Ekpo, the Chairman of the Akwa Ibom Petroleum Products Monitoring Committee (PPMC), called for collaboration between his committee and the Regulatory body to promote their job.
“We want to synergise and collaborate to achieve the objective by which the team was set up by the Gov. Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom.
“Our duty is not to regulate the price of Petroleum products but the market force determines the price which is not our mandate,” Ekpo said.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that the committee was inaugurated on Oct. 12, by Eno.
