The National Petroleum Authority (NPA) has warned people who rush to siphon fuel from tankers involved in accidents to desist from the practice or risk prosecution.
The Chief Executive of the NPA, Mr Godwin Kudzo Tameklo, said the authority was working with the Ghana Police Service to identify and arrest people who engaged in the dangerous practice.
He said the authority would intensify public education and enforcement to protect lives and property.
“Not even a litre is worth your life,” he said, urging the public to stay away from overturned tankers and allow the Ghana National Fire Service and police to manage such incidents.
Mr Tameklo was speaking on Thursday at the NPA Consumer Week Celebration at Ofaakor Park in Kasoa, in the Awutu Senya East Municipality of the Central Region.
He said the authority had introduced the “Stay Back, Stay Safe” campaign to discourage people from rushing to collect fuel from accident scenes.
He warned that collecting fuel from overturned tankers constituted a serious offence and urged the public not to encourage others to engage in the practice.
He said the NPA was also encouraging people to provide information and evidence to assist the police in identifying offenders.
The CEO said consumer protection remained central to the authority’s mandate, adding that the NPA was taking its services beyond its offices to communities across the country.
He said the authority had undertaken public education and sensitisation programmes in markets, lorry parks, schools and communities, as well as through radio, television and digital platforms.
The MP for Awutu Senya East, Ms Phylis Naa Koryoo Okunor, urged the authority to strengthen inspections and enforcement to ensure that consumers received the correct quantities and quality of petroleum products.
She said consumers needed assurance that fuel pumps were accurate and that LPG cylinders used in their homes were properly tested and safe.
She said safety in the petroleum sector was a moral obligation and called on the public to report unsafe practices.
The Chairperson of the NPA Consumer Services Committee, Ms Linda Naa Ogbedei Quao, said the authority was also strengthening consumer engagement through regional offices and public education campaigns.
She said the weekly consumer bulletin was helping industry players make informed decisions while providing consumers with practical safety advice.
Ms Quao said the committee remained committed to ensuring that consumers’ concerns were heard and addressed.
The celebration was held on the theme, “Safe Downstream: Confident Consumers.”
FROM ENOCH NTIAMOAH SIAW, KASOA
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