IPMAN States Reasons For Fuel Scarcity, Brainstorms With NLC, Others On Way Out

By Kazeem Awojoodu, Ibadan

IPMAN has stated reasons behind fuel scarcity in south western states of the country.

Naijanewshub.com.ng reports that the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association Of Nigeria (IPMAN) has on Friday cleared the air about the ongoing fuel scarcity that has subjected Nigerians to pains and suffering.

Speaking with journalists at the IPMAN Headquaters in Ibadan, the Capital City of Oyo state, on Friday shortly meeting with the stakeholders on ways forward, Alhaji Bukola Mutiu, the IPMAN chairman for Ibadan Depot that covers Oyo and Osun states maintained that Nigerians should not blame members of independent marketers for the current fuel scarcity in the country.

The IPMAN Boss said, ” today we are having joint meeting with the NLC state Exco, IPMAN Exco, NUPENG Exco in Ibadan depot on the current situation of fuel in the country especially in Oyo and Osun state.”

He further said, “We want the masses to understand that fuel crisis is not emanated from our own end here or from any member of independent marketers, we are having shortage of supply from NNPC, I mean we have been denied of having direct payment to NNPC remita portal that we normally requested and pay, for over six months now non of the existing marketing companies that duly licensed with NNPC are been given authority to pay, so that imply that we did not have fuel at NNPC Ibadan here since the begining of this year, we have not load a liter out of this Apata depot here in Ibadan, and we are having five deport in the south west and non of them are working at present.

“We have to be going to private depot to buy fuel from private depot owners and that we have been buying at exorbitant prices ranging from N220, N212 per liter without trucks expenses and to the level of buying at the rate of N220; N222 per liter as at the close of work yesterday and if you add N30 transportation to Ibadan for example from Lagos to Ibadan and total cost of transport on a liter from Lagos to Ibadan is N30 that means that we are getting the fuel to our various stations beyond N260, N255 per liter before we now have other expenses to run stations and other expenses.”

“So when we had a report from NANS Oyo state branch we now said we need to meet the stakeholders and express our challenges to them, and also to show them all the predicaments we are facing over the last six months now, as an independent marketers that we are selling to masse if we are not been denied of the ways we normally pay into NNPC purse through remita we will have our product as cheap as N180 per liter or even lesser than that, but when we have been denied, we are going to private depot to buy those products.”

“As at today is NNPC alone that is importing any liter of petroleum products to this country and the product that is meant to be given to us as an independent marketers that are duly registered under them are been given to those private hands so we are buying from the third party.”

“Another point is that most of the south west are been denied of getting access to fuel, if you check our waybills you see that we are buying from marketers from other region like the northern and eastern part of the country, so we are using this medium to appeal to the authority and the NNPC top officials to look into our problem here, we are having products in but we are buying it from the third party.”

“If we go to where NNPC drop the products we will still be buying at the third party so that is the reason why we are having outrageous prices at the filling station currently, so at this point I want to appeal to the masses that the problem is not from our own end, the student that said they are going to be attacking the filling stations we are pleading to them to go the NNPC and fund out what exactly is the problem, they should go there and verify that who and who are they selling the products to.

“They should also go the private depots we are buying from to check and see what we are buying from those depot, private depot will also have their own challenges as well to tell them, but at the level of retailing end here that is the problem we are facing.” Alhaji Bukola said.

While speaking on possibility of the fuel scarcity coming to an end soon, the IPMAN chairman said, “I cannot say there is end in sight because I’m not an insider at NNPC and I’m not an NNPC official, it is whatever they give us that we will buy, so it’s only NNPC officials that can give us any clue on when the scarcity is going to come to an end.”

“What I know is that if they want this to end with immediate effect they can do it, we have means of paying into NNPC portal, they should open all those portals for marketers payment, so we can pay in directly into their portal as marketers, and the security agents that suppose to monitor who and who loaded will have the informations at their disposals and we will sell to the masses at the correct prices that we normally sell but as at now, we are buying at very exorbitant prices that we cannot sell at the government regulated price and government is there at the private depots that we are buying from they should checkmate them.”

“The only promise we can make, as a marketers and chairman of the stakeholders here in Ibadan which comprises IMB, PTD and IPMAN is that we will work hard in getting fuel available to the masses at the prevailing prices from Lagos. Bukola said.

Also in his contributions, Comrade Olukayode Martins the state NLC Chairman said, “We read on the paper that the chanel which this fuel pass across to the country is so much cumbersome, they’ve made it so difficult for the marketers to avail this fuel, the NNPC should do whatever they need to do because of the masses, maybe they need to eradicate the chanel so we can have it at our various disposals.

“I also want to enjoy the masses especially in Oyo state both the students and the masses to please calm down because the atmosphere is tense already, they should be peaceful at this hour of the day and I believe with God in our side we will get to the root of this matter.” Olukayode said.

Also at the meeting are Comrade Joke Oyeleke state Vice Chairman of NLC, Comrade Aribatise Adebayo the state NLC secretary, Comrade Salam Rafiu Oyewole Secretary of Independent Marketers Branch (IBM of NUPENG), Comrade Hamzat Hammed chairman of Petroleum Tankers Drivers of NUPENG Ibadan Depot among others.

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