The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum have threatened to cripple the supply and sales of petroleum products across Nigeria over the non-payment of bridging claims by the Nigerian Midstream, Downstream Petroleum, Regulatory Authority NMDPRA.
Addressing a news conference in Abuja on Tuesday, Chairman of IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum, Yahaya Al Hassan said the NMDPRA are owing them N200 billion and have failed to comply with the directive of the Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), Heineken Lokpobiri to pay them.
The IPMAN Depot Chairman claimed that since the directive by the Minister in February 2024 only N13 billion has been paid to their members from the N40 billion a development he says has crippled the business of their members.
“If our demands are not met within the shortest period of time. More so,
this money in question that the marketers are asking for is our monies set aside, collected from us, and deducted from our own monies, to augment our transport fares. We are merely asking for the return of our monies that is in the purse of the NMDPRA”.
“It is not a matter of government’s budget. NMDPRA have illegally taken our monies and this is the highest level of fraud.
Sequel to this, we are appealing to Mr. President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu, to please intervene in this quagmire that we have been subjected to by the NMDPRA.
We repeat, if our demands are not met within the shortest period of time, we have already put our
members on standby across the nation, as law abiding citizens,
we are collectively prepared to withdraw our services, close
every single outlet, and suspend lifting of products forthwith till
our demands are fully met, and the consequences will be terrible”.
As every marketer’s outlet across Nigeria, from the North to the
South, and from the East to the West, will be shut down.
As the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, we have taken every step in the past to salvage this unfortunate
and looming situation, which we know will not augur well for Nigerians, but we are presently left with no option than to go all out in the next few days to address this ugly trend in our own way, which will portend great hardship and danger for Nigerians”
“We call on our members to however remain resolute and law
abiding, even as we draw close to the immediate ultimatum for
our demands to be met and addressed by the NMDPRA”
The Forum however expressed worry over the non-availability of petroleum products in the country, which they said has given rise to another round of untold hardship on Nigerians. They said the fresh fuel scarcity is triggered by the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited NNPCL and
not by IPMAN or her members, contrary to claims that their
members are hoarding PMS products.
(Editor: Terverr Tyav)
