Thenewsthatmusicartiste,PeterBozahaliasFameye,hasreceivedGHS25,000compensationfrom an
unnamedOilMarketingCompany(OMC)forallegedlysellinghim fuelcontaminatedwithwatercameto
theNationalPetroleum Authority(NPA)asasurprise.
Stateinstitutionshavetherequisitestructurestodealwithmattersreǫatingtotheirscopeofwork.
ParticuǫarlywithNPA,thereisadirectorate,QualityAssurance,whichisinchargeofinvestigatingthepurity
andintegrityofpetroleum productsinGhana.Thisdirectoratehasaǫaboratorywithstate-of-the-art
equipmentpurposelyforthetestingofspecificandvitalqualityparametres.Additionally,thereisalsothe
ConsumerServicesDepartmentwithintheCorporateAffairsDirectoratewhichinterfaceswithconsumers
onsuchissuesasproductadulteration,consumercompǫaints,consumercompensations,tonamebuta
few.
ThrougheffectivecommunicationandcooperationbetweenNPAandconsumers,someOMCshavepaid
compensation,eitherincashorinkind,toaffectedcompǫainants.Thefailurerateoffueladulterationhas
droppedsignificantlyfrom 6.20percentin2016to1.37percentin2022,allthroughthecommendable
workoftherespectivedirectoratesoftheAuthority.
InthecaseofFameyeandhisManagementTeam,theyhaverefusedtocooperatewiththeNPAintermsof
providingthenameandlocationoftheretailoutletfollowinghistweetonthesuspectedpurchaseoffuel
contaminatedwithwater.InanearlierinteractionwiththeAuthority,Fameye'sManagementTeam saidit
wouldhandlethematterbyitself.Despitethatposition,theNPAstillaffirmeditsreadinesstoproceed
withtheinvestigationifFameye’sManagementTeamdecidedtocooperatewiththeAuthoritybyproviding
itwithallthenecessarycontactdetails.
Theprocedureforhandlingcompǫaintsisthatuponreceiptofthecustomercompǫaint,theNPAshall
conductrigorousinvestigationswheresamplesmaybeobtainedfromtheretailoutletandthecustomer’s
vehicle.NPApreferstocollectfuelsamplesfrom thevehicleofthecustomer,within48hoursafter
purchase.Thisistoavoidtheincidenceofco-minglingwherebyanewproductcouldbemixedtheold
productthatthecustomercouldhavepurchased.Thesamplewillbetakentotheǫaboratoryforquality
analysis.TheQualityAssuranceandCorporateAffairsDirectorateswillkeeptheOMCandcompǫainant
engagedthroughouttheprocessandinform them oftheoutcome.TheNPAAct691mandatestheNPAto,
amongotherthings,protecttheinterestofconsumersandensurethattheygetvalueformoney.Assuming
thatFameye’scǫaim ofpurchasingfuelcontaminatedwithwaterisvalid,howcanNPAprotecttheinterest
ofotherconsumerswhomighthavepurchasedorstillpurchasingfuelfrom theunnamedretailoutlet.It
isforthisreasonthatonTuesday18thApril2023,thattheConsumerServicesDepartmentonceagain
reachedouttoFameye’sManagementTeam forinformationonthenameandlocationoftheretailoutlet
toproceedwithinvestigationaftertheNPA’sattentionwasdrawntothenewsoftheallegedsettlement.
WewishtostatecategoricallythattherefusalofFameyeandhisManagementTeam todisclosethename
andlocationoftheretailoutletandOMCinquestionisaconcerntothereguǫatoroftheindustry.
TheNPAwishestoreiteratethatitsdoorsarestillopentothoroughlyinvestigatethecaseandconductthe
neededinvestigation,providedthatFameyeandhisManagementteam cooperatewithus.
Anyconsumerwithcompǫaintsofsuspectedfueladulterationoranyfuelreǫatedconcernscanreachthe
NPAcustomerlinesare054-500-6111or054-500-6112.
NATIONALPETROLEUMAUTHORITY
Signed
CorporateAffairsDirectorate
Wednesday,19thApril2023
