The Chamber of Petroleum Consumers has threatened to sue the National Petroleum Authority (NPA) if it fails to fish out Oil Marketing Companies retailing contaminated fuel at the pumps.
According to COPEC, it had received complaints from a number of gasoline users across the country of having been served by some oil marketing companies with suspected bad fuel.
In a press statement signed by the Executive Secretary of COPEC, Duncan Amoah, it said, “A good number of gasoline users have complained of delayed acceleration, delayed changes in the gears, jerking, and misfiring of plugs, leading to very poor performance of these engines altogether.”
“Copec has received a good number of such complaints over the period and has largely referred same to the appropriate quarters particularly the regulator of the petroleum downstream (the NPA) while helping a couple of the others with handy solutions that seem to have averted the apparent changing of spark plugs and maintenance which are undue.
“This notwithstanding, the complaints seem not to have subsided as expected.”
COPEC has therefore called on the NPA to as a matter of urgency address this menace or face legal action.
“We are by this demanding of the NPA to expedite their efforts in addressing the issue and ensure whatever the probable cause(s) of this menace is promptly nipped in the bud latest by or before the end of this week.
“Failing of which will lead to a suit on the Authority for reneging on their core mandate of ensuring every liter of petroleum products being sold at the various pumps meets the minimum standards,” the statement added.
Read the full statement below:
CHAMBER OF PETROLEUM CONSUMERS GHANA
ACCRA
16/11/2023
GROWING COMPLAINTS OF BAD FUEL BY A CROSS-SECTION OF CONSUMERS
The past few days have seen a surge in complaints by large users of gasoline across the country of having been served by one Oil Marketing Company or the other of some suspected bad fuel.
From what began as the usual suspicions by consumers of not receiving the expected quality or quantity at the pumps, the chorus has sadly grown increasingly louder over the days, with users of Honda make vehicles complaining the most though some other cars have also complained one way or the other over suspected bad fuel which for a good number of consumers had led to them ultimately replacing their car plugs and forced maintenance rountines even on vehicles whose dates for going for maintenance were clearly not due.
A good number of gasoline users have complained of delayed acceleration, delayed changes in the gears, jerking, and misfiring of plugs, leading to very poor performance of these engines altogether
Copec has received a good number of such complaints over the period and has largely referred the same to the appropriate quarters particularly the regulator of the petroleum downstream ( the NPA ) while helping a couple of others with handy solutions that seem to have averted the apparent changing of spark plugs and maintenances which are undue.
We are also aware of strenuous efforts by the NPA to follow every single one of these complaints by picking samples from the stations named by the affected consumers, some of whose complaints have been officially documented and addressed.
This notwithstanding, the complaints seem not to have subsided as expected.
While commending the National Petroleum Authority for their swift response in promptly investigating the menace, we are also appalled by the seeming unending phenomena as complaints by consumers affected by the situation continue to come up on a daily basis.
We are demanding that the NPA expedite its efforts in addressing the issue and ensure whatever the probable cause(s) of this menace is promptly nipped in the bud by or before the end of this week.
Failing to will lead to a suit on the Authority for reneging on its core mandate of ensuring every liter of petroleum products being sold at the various pumps meets the minimum standards.
Our findings on the issue so far, point to a possible high count of manganese in the fuel which in itself could be dealt with by the application of some additivations to counter any adverse impacts it could have on the rather few vehicles so far affected and are thus entreating the public to seek for these additives that could help correct the issue as opposed to resorting to rather expensive plug changing and undue maintenance routines.
Signed.
Duncan Amoah.
Executive Secretary.
