By Ike Uchechukwu CALABAR

At least four filling station have been sealed across the Cross River state by Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority NMDPRA over issues of irregularities and operating without a valid license.

The Regulatory Authority which went on its routine inspection across the state said it visited over 50 filling stations during the exercise.

Mr George Ene-Ita , Regional coordinator South south who spoke during it daily routines
explained that some other stations were also cautioned.

The Authority explained that while one of the sealed station was operating without valid license, three others were sealed for under-dispensing products.

According to The Authority , the exercise was a routine inspection to ensure that operators follow the industry standard practice in their operations.

“As a regulatory authority, it is our responsibility that the users are protected from being fleeced by operators in any guise.

“They (operators) are suppose to give value for what the end users are buying; a litre should be a litre nothing more nothing less. operators must as a matter of responsibility dispense what is paid for.

“As for those operating without valid license in the state, they should understand that it is no longer business as usual in Cross River; this is so for various reasons, including environmental protection, safety of lives and property and so on.

“It is a delicate industry and it doesn’t mean that anyone with money can just open a facility anyhow without due process, hence the need for proper licensing,” he said.

Vanguard reports that some of the filling stations that were sealed were mostly located in Calabar South and Municipality LGAs of the state.