The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers (COPEC) is calling for the immediate shutdown of some two defaulting fuel stations identified among 10 others found shortchanging motorists who purchased from them.
According to the GSA’s report, the inspection team visited about 65 fuel stations within the Greater Accra Region out of which 10 fuel stations were discovered to have adjusted their pumps to serve their customers less than what they have paid for.
Shell station at the Motorway Extension; Total at McCarthyHill in Accra; GOIL at Mile 11; Frimps Oil at Tetegu junction; GOIL at Galilea; and Frimps Oil on Spintex Road, Glory Oil on the Spintex Road; Allied Oil at Sakaman; Shell at Amanfrom West and Goodness Energy at Kasoa were the 10 stations indicted.
At a press conference Monday June 24, Executive Director of COPEC, Duncan Amaoh, revealed that after its follow up checks, two of the defaulted fuel stations were still found to be engaging in these illegalities.
The Goodness Service Station at Amanfrom he noted, seemed to have changed nothing as far as the availability of the mandatory 10 litre can for customers is concerned. The Shell Service Station at Amanfrom similarly was found in a “disappointing” state. Aside the unavailability of the 10 litre can, the general sanitary conditions were nothing to boast of and it had no functioning fire extinguishers at the time of visiting, they stated.
“Our roving team together with the media visited the (Goodness Service Station at Amanfrom) following the publication of the GSA inspections but sadly nothing seems to have changed with this particular station, the mandatory 10 litre can which should be available upon demand by the cutomer was not available and thus difficult to ascertain if an corrective measure had been put in place to protect the consumer”, he noted.
About the Shell Service Station at Amanfrom, he said, “Perhaps the most disappointing of all the visits from the GSA inspections and indictment. This said station for the record looks nothing like the regular shell stations or outlets and must immediately be closed down as general sanitary conditions in and around the station were pretty poor and shambolic; no 10 litre can on demand, fire extinguisher clearly empty and lying in a bucket of refuse at the forecourt”.
COPEC, per its findings, is therefore calling for the immediate shutdown of both stations as their operations they say, poses more harm to consumers than good.
“We recommend the owners or operators of this particular station to immediately halt selling to the public or shut down this particular outlet and ensure the right things are done to forstall any further shortchanging of the unsuspecting public as duly captured by the GSA”, they said, referring to Goodness Service Station.
They further asked “managers of the shell brand to immediately dissociate from the said station as it only poses a disgrace to the brand”. They also cautioned the ‘general consuming public to also boycott this station till effective maintenance and repair works are done”.
The other eight stations were found to have put in corrective steps to address the illegalities. In the case of Allied Service, Manager at the said station was subsequently fired.
