DPR To Sanction Erring Gas Retailers

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has said that it would sanction any erring gas retailer found short-changing customers.
Mr Gbenga Koku, the DPR Controller of Operations, Lagos Zonal Office, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos last week that those short-changing customers were not licensed by the agency.
Koku said that the agency had not been officially informed about any gas retailer short-changing customers and appealed to customers to alert the agency whenever they were cheated.

The Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) has said that it would sanction any erring gas retailer found short-changing customers.
Mr Gbenga Koku, the DPR Controller of Operations, Lagos Zonal Office, told the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos last week that those short-changing customers were not licensed by the agency.
Koku said that the agency had not been officially informed about any gas retailer short-changing customers and appealed to customers to alert the agency whenever they were cheated.
He appealed to customers to buy from licenced distributors.
The DPR chief said that the agency would arrest retailers found short-changing customers.
“We are going to order police to arrest any gas retailer found cheating customers.
“The agency has severally advised customers to buy or refill their gas cylinders from licenced stations and to stop patronising road-side gas retailers,’’ he said.
Koku said that registered filling stations and licenced gas distributors would not be involved in such malpractises, adding that the agency would not hesitate to sanction any station found under-dispensing.
“In line with our zero tolerance for substandard products campaign, we aim to achieve significant reduction in substandard products in our markets,’’ he said.
Meanwhile, the Liquefied Petroleum Gas and Retailers Association of Nigeria (LPGARAN) has alleged that the quality of gas being imported into the country posed some challenges to users.
Mr Michael Umudu the National Chairman of the association, told NAN that the association had received series of complaints of alleged short-changing of customers.
He said that the problem was associated with the quicker exhaustion of cooking gas due to the nature of gas imported.
“The light gas currently in circulation does not last as long as the high density gas’’.
He said that his association had been holding stakeholders meetings with gas importers to find a lasting solution to the problem.
“We always emphasise that these importers should be careful with the kind of gas they import.
“Incidentally, many people who go to gas plants to buy have the impression that they can get value for their money, but that is not the case,’’ he said.
Mr Mbene Emeka, a gas dealer in Ojuelegba, Lagos, said that some gas in circulation were very light.
Emeka advised users to ensure that their cylinders were locked when not in use.