By Kemo Kanyi
A resident of Lamin Kerewan has threatened to take legal action against the Gambia National Petroleum Company (GNPC) over an alleged fuel mix-up that she claims damaged her family vehicle.
Mrs Sally B. Ceesay told The Voice newspaper that a pump attendant at a GNPC fuel station allegedly filled her diesel vehicle with petrol, causing severe engine damage.
According to her, the vehicle, a diesel-powered Nissan Qashqai purchased by her husband in June last year for D750,000, has remained unusable since the incident.
Mrs Ceesay said the car was mainly used to transport her children to school and run family errands.
The incident reportedly occurred on the night of Nov. 30, 2025, at a GNPC filling station at Airport Junction.
She alleged that the attendant mistakenly filled the diesel vehicle with petrol, which later resulted in major engine damage.
Mrs Ceesay further claimed that GNPC acknowledged the mistake and asked her to leave the vehicle at the station, assuring her that the company would take responsibility for repairs.
“Following the incident that left the vehicle unusable, GNPC took the car for repairs. However, several months later the vehicle remains unrepaired, and efforts to reach a satisfactory resolution have repeatedly failed,” she said.
She added that she had sent several emails to the company requesting compensation or a refund to enable her purchase another vehicle, but said she has yet to receive a response.
“My family continues to suffer the consequences of a mistake that was not ours,” Mrs Ceesay said, warning that she is preparing to pursue legal action to recover financial losses if the matter remains unresolved.
She says her intention is not only to seek justice for her family but also to raise awareness so that motorists are protected and companies take responsibility for such errors.
According to Mrs Ceesay, the incident raises broader concerns about customer protection, service delivery and accountability among companies providing essential services to the public.
GNPC is one of the country’s leading petroleum providers.
Efforts by The Voice to obtain comments from the company proved unsuccessful.
Mr Sadibou Jammeh, Director of Commerce at GNPC, referred the newspaper to the Managing Director.
A staff member in the company’s communications unit, Adama Manneh, advised the complainant to submit an official hard copy of her complaint letter to the office of the Managing Director for the matter to be addressed.