IPMAN promises improved fuel supply, debunks plan to shutdown stations

Admin l Monday, 06 February 2023

 

ABUJA, Nigeria –  The independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has debunked insinuations that marketers of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly called petrol, are getting set to shut down operations beginning from Monday once the government starts the enforcement of N195/litre pump price.

Mr Mike Osatuyi, IPMAN’s National Operations Controller, debunked the assertion in a statement issued in Abuja and made available to newsmen. Osatuyi said it became necessary to debunk the insinuation that IPMAN members planned to shut down their stations.

He said that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is preparing the logistics  to start given  petrol to IPMAN members directly.  He advised members to open up there stations and start  selling to the public nationwide. He said that IPMAN is a responsible association that will not get involve in undermining national security as petrol is a national security product.

According to him, ” Apart  from IPMAN members loading at DAPPMAN depots in Abule-Ado, Ijegun axis of Lagos has agreed to sell petrol at N172 per litre to IPMAN members as part of the Federal Government and DAPMAN efforts  in ensuring  Nigerians enjoy the subsidy  regime.

He added that lPMAN will also load at NIPCO and MRS depots massively for South West and North West part of the country in few days time.

Osatuyi said the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) must be applauded for cancelling the  #3 naira union  charges on petrol  in the last two days in loading depots adding that however, government  should advise  NUPENG/ PTD to bring down the transportation  cost to various  parts of the country  where a reasonable profit  will be made by the transport owners and the benefits  of subsidy will equally  be enjoyed  by the public so as to enable IPMAN members to sell at reasonable and  near approved  prices nationwide.

He however, said that Adesope Ibadan Ipman depot publicity officer, has no mandate to talk on behalf of the National body of IPMAN. He appealed to media to always cross check any information  from IPMAN National body before going to press

It would be recalled that  Alhaji Mojeed Adesope, the  IPMAN Publicity Officer, lbadan Depot called for shutdown of all IPMAN’s filling stations due to government’s pronouncement on the pump price of petrol should not exceed N195/litre, a development which dealers, particularly independent marketers, described as tough due to the high ex-depot price of the commodity.

Osatuyi said that members will beginning to get supply from  Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL). He said that going forward, the independent marketers, being critical complement to the major marketers in breaking the festering scarcity, got assurance of direct supply of petrol from the NNPCL.

The moves came on the heels of a critical meeting between NNPCL, MOMAN, IPMAN, Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and the Department of State Services (DSS) amongst others.

The National Operations Controller, said that the NNPCL has agreed to be selling petrol directly to IPMAN members at the regulated official price, rather than the crisis-fueling situation of routing products through third parties, who had been severally fingered as being behind inflated wholesale supply prices.

Osatuyi said direct sale of products to independent marketers “will bring down the price of the product”, noting that direct sale of products to independent marketers will lead to immediate reversal of retail prices to regulated retail price.

“I can tell you that the NNPCL has agreed to be giving IPMAN petrol directly and not through a third party. The Federal  Government  of Nigeria and the Inspector   General of police should  call the federal  task force on petroleum  products to order as there recent actions is geared towards  intimidation and exploitation.

“IPMAN will work  with  them in a peaceful  and friendly  atmosphere  to fish  out fraudulent  members among IPMAN members  that can be proven  but not exploitative  agenda”, he said.