The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) debunked the 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 the 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 giving petrol to members directly. He advised members to open up their stations and start selling to the public nationwide.
He said that the association is a responsible association that will not 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, the 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 Nigerian enjoy the subsidy regime.
He added that lPMAN will also load in NIPCO and MRS depots massively for South West and North West parts of the country in a few days.
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, the 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 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 the association.
He appealed to the media to always cross-check any information from the IPMAN National body before going to press.
It would be recalled that Alhaji Mojeed Adesope, the IPMAN Publicity Officer, Ibadan Depot called for a shutdown of all the petrol marketers filling stations due to the 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 begin to get supplies from the direct Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
He said that going forward, the independent marketers, being a 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 have 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 the 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 an immediate reversal of retail prices to the regulated retail price.
He said: “I can tell you that the NNPCL have 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 their recent actions are 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.
