Petrol shortage hits Accra

Fuel filling stations in parts of Accra are reporting a shortage of petrol and diesel.

Filling stations around La and Osu have been waving away drivers who drive in seeking the commodities and enquiries by a local radio station, JOYFM, found out that most of them ran out of stock by Saturday night.

Indeed stations around La including the Trade Fair and Polyclinic areas said they were without the products on Friday evening. The station managers explained that they were yet to receive supplies for orders placed last week.

There was however a long queue at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle branch of Fraga Oil, the only filling station that was selling the product in the vicinity, while the Total station near the Danquah Circle at Osu also served regularly arriving customers.

Some drivers who were awaiting their turns to be served in growing queues spoke of the unavailability of petrol at several filling stations, forcing them to roam wide areas in the capital.

George Amegah who is Station Manager at the Kwame Nkrumah Circle branch of Fraga Oil expressed surprise at the situation and said he received his usual consignment on Thursday.

He however confirmed that he also noticed the problem on Saturday night when queues began to form at the station.

Only a fortnight ago, officials of the National Petroleum Authority said there were enough stocks of petroleum products and were praying that dealers would lift more quantities.

The shortage comes in the wake of ongoing investigations into the alleged widespread sale of adulterated petroleum products to unsuspecting motorists around the country.

The Chairman of the National Petroleum Authority, Professor Ivan Addae-Mensah said last week that investigations were underway to identify the source of adulterated fuel that had affected numerous cars across the country.

Prof. Addae-Mensah whose car also suffered damage as a result of adulterated fuel said the NPA became aware of the situation after it received complaints from car owners.

He told Joy news that although all efforts were being made to find the perpetrators, rusty petroleum tankers and storage tanks could also account for the problem.

The NPA said anyone found to have deliberately adulterated fuel would be dealt with according to the law.

The management of Tema Oil Refinery (TOR) on Wednesday called for effective monitoring of petroleum products by dealers and Oil Marketing Companies (OMC) to prevent adulteration after its investigations in the Greater Accra, Central and Volta regions established widespread sale of adulterated fuel.

Mr Kofi Kodua Sarpong, Managing Director of TOR made the call at a news briefing at Tema noted that ineffective monitoring contributed to adulteration of petroleum products that left the refinery to some parts of the country.

Mr Sarpong said as soon as TOR served the dealers and they left with their allocation “we do not have any control over them and do not know what happens afterwards.”