The Ebonyi State Government has sealed the Shafa Oil and Gas Station in Ebonyi State, Nigeria’s South-east.
Nnaemeka Nwafor, the senior special assistant to Governor Francis Nwifuru of Ebonyi State, announced the sealing of the station in a statement on Sunday.
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Mr Nwafor said the petrol station was sealed because its tank developed a fault, allowing water to flow into its underground petrol tank.
He said the development was brought to the government’s attention in the early hours of Sunday.
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The special assistant said the effort by the government followed a report by a lawyer, Sampson Ekigbo.
How the petrol got contaminated
Mr Nwafor said the investigation revealed that a weakened casket in the tank system allowed water to seep in, thereby contaminating the stored petrol.
He said in response, the state government “moved swiftly” to shut down the station until the situation was resolved.
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“We encourage residents to ignore any news or information orchestrated to instil fear and speculation regarding the quality and safety of petroleum products in the state,” Mr Nwafor said.
“Consumers are advised to continue making purchases from other filling stations while the issue at Shafa is being addressed.”
The special assistant warned those spreading misleading information about petroleum products in the state to stop immediately.
He argued that Mr Nwifuru’s administration remains committed to fulfilling its mandate as mentioned in the People’s Charter of Needs.
Mr Nwafor explained that the sealing of the station was a precautionary step to protect consumers and ensure public confidence in the safety of petroleum products available across Ebonyi.
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Video clip
The petrol station was sealed following a video clip that surfaced on social media showing a driver of the state-owned transport company, Ebonyi Transport Company, complaining of the poor quality of petrol purchased from the station.
The driver was heard in the clip explaining that he bought petrol from the station only to find out it was watery, which later resulted in the vehicle stopping a few metres from the station.
The station was locked up on Sunday morning when a PREMIUM TIMES reporter visited it.
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