GA/R: NPA shuts down Gulf Energy for selling petrol laced with water

The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has shut down the operations of Gulf Energy in the Okaikwei Central Municipal Assembly of the Greater Accra Region for selling water–laced petroleum products to unsuspecting customers.

The fuel station located at Abeka Lapaz along the George Walker Bush N1 Highway in the Accra metropolis near Torrid Oil has been caught by the taskforce of NPA for shortchanging Ghanaian drivers.

This station, according to information available to Classfmonline.com comes to three, the number of fuel stations NPA has closed down for selling water-petrol to unsuspecting customers in the Accra metropolis.

Commercial drivers in the Lapaz area are relishing the NPA’s decision to close down the station for the illegalities it has committed in the sector.

According to the commercial drivers at Abeka-Lapaz bus terminal, the activities of the fuel dispensing company have affected their operations.

They told Classfmonline.com that the price of the commodity is all the time low at the station when prices were high and many commercial drivers clamoured for their products only to realise that their products are laced with water.

“My brother you buy fuel from Gulf Energy and your tank is full, you move from the pump and some minutes later your gauge is down”, Nii Ahuma Tetteh, a commercial driver said.

“This has been a source of worry to us but being ignorant people, we didn’t know what to do”, he said.

Kojo Apau, a taxi driver said there was a time he run out of fuel and out of desperation, he got to Gulf energy and bought one gallon as usual. He took a look at the fuel only to realise that the colour of the fuel was so different with a substance sitting under the gallon.

The spokesperson for Concerned Drivers Association, Mr David Agboada, who spoke in an interview with Kwame Obeng Sarkodie on the Ghana Yensom morning show on Accra FM last Friday, June 17, 2022, urged commercial drivers to report the activities of suspicious Oil Marketing Companies (OMCs) in the country.

He called on victims of such acts to call these NPA hotlines 0545006111 or 054 5006112 to report such activities of fuel station operators.

He urged them to report to the association to enable them to push for the replacement of their engines if they have faults as a result of bad fuel.

When Classfmonline.com visited the station, it had been barricaded with a caution tape and the board announcing prices pulled down.

The pumps have also been locked with a chain with some drivers having the opportunity to use the station as their parking space.