Govt Seals 40 Filling Stations Over Fraud in Anambra

By Paul Mbagwu

The Federal Ministry of Industry, Trade and Investment have sealed 40 petrol filling stations in Anambra for defrauding motorists.

Mrs Cordelia Nwachukwu, the Chief Legal Metrology Officer, Weights and Measures Department of the ministry made this known while addressing newsmen in Awka on Friday.

Nwachukwu said the audit and surveillance team which arrived Anambra on October 29, inspected about 100 outlets across the 21 council areas in the state.

She decried the short-changing of unsuspecting customers by marketers who use substandard petrol pumps.

“The marketers’ reasons of high running cost, evaporation, mechanical error and shortage in supply from tanker drivers are not acceptable.

“We have been here since one week on audit, and surveillance on oil and gas sector in Anambra.

“We inspected about 100 filling stations and about 40 of them were found wanting, what that means is that 40 per cent of filling stations here were shortchanging their customers.

“The 40 filling stations have been sealed and the owners invited for questioning,’’ she said.

Nwachukwu said some of the outdated equipment used by the marketers were also blacklisted and ordered outright removal.

She said the ministry would intensify the test and verification of weighing and measuring instruments used for trade in all sectors to ensure Nigerians got value for their money.

(NAN)