Music artiste Peter Bozah, better known by his stage name Fameye, has reportedly received a compensation amount of GH¢25,000 from an undisclosed Oil Marketing Company (OMC) over allegations of selling him fuel contaminated with water.
This news has come as a surprise to the National Petroleum Authority (NPA), which stated that state institutions, such as the NPA are equipped to deal with issues within their scope of work.
“The NPA has a directorate called Quality Assurance, which is responsible for investigating the integrity and purity of petroleum products in Ghana. This Directorate has a laboratory with modern equipment, designed for testing specific quality parameters.”
“Through communication and cooperation between the NPA and consumers, some OMCs have paid compensations to affected complainants, either in cash or in kind, regarding issues such as product adulteration and consumer complaints. The fuel adulteration failure rate has dropped significantly from 6.20 percent in 2016 to 1.37 percent in 2022, thanks to the commendable work of the respective directorates of the Authority.”
However, the NPA says Fameye and his management team have refused to cooperate with them by not providing the name and location of the retail outlet, following his tweet on the suspected purchase of fuel contaminated with water.
Despite the management team’s reluctance, the NPA still says it is ready to proceed with the investigation if Fameye’s team provides all the necessary details.
The NPA Act 69l mandates the NPA to protect the interest of consumers and ensure that they get value for their money. If Fameye’s claim of purchasing fuel contaminated with water is valid, the NPA’s concern is how it can protect the interests of other consumers who might have bought or are still buying fuel from the unnamed retail outlet.
“It is for this reason that on Tuesday, April 18, 2023, the Consumer Services Department once again reached out to Fameye’s management team for information on the name and location of the retail outlet to proceed with the investigation after the NPA’s attention was drawn to the news of the alleged settlement.”
The NPA further reiterated that its doors are still open to thoroughly investigate the case, provided that Fameye and his management team cooperate with them.
“Any consumer with a complaint of suspected fuel adulteration or any fuel-related concerns can contact the NPA customer lines on 054-500-6111 or 054-500-612.”
