The national secretariat of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has asked the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to beam its searchlights on activities at the private depots of members of the Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA).
The National President of IPMAN, Debo Ahmed and National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Ukadike, made the call in a joint statement made available to newsmen.
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Ahmed expressed concern over the sale of petroleum products to members of IPMAN above the NNPCL approved template of N148 which, they noted, was inimical to their survival.
While he agreed that their members would stick to the government approved price of N165 per litre at retail outlets across the country, Alhaji Ahmed called on the NNPCL to save his members from the excesses of DAPPMA.
“The government is doing nothing about the private depots that are violating the system by selling higher.
“IPMAN members have suffered a lot in the hands of private depot owners.
“We appreciate the efforts of NNPC to make the product available but you cannot rob Peter to pay Paul.
“We have really suffered a lot of setbacks based on the cost of diesel.
“We aren’t saying there is non-availability of petroleum products, but what is available isn’t sufficient. The cost of diesel has also increased.
“These two factors have led to profiteering at tank farms, whereby marketers buy petroleum products at the rate of N169 to N170 above government controlled pump price.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult for marketers to sell petroleum products with this little margin. It is easy for marketers to move products from NNPCL depots to sell at N165 but we aren’t getting at N148, which is the government template for private depot tank farm owners to sell to marketers, we are getting at N160. There is no way a marketer will use N5 to sell petroleum products,” he stated.
He called on NNPC, on behalf of marketers, to ensure that there is sufficient supply of the products.
“These products are being sold to private depots at government approved rates, not above N148. If they can’t stick to approved template, they should close down those tank farms selling above what government has stipulated.”
Meanwhile, the IPMAN leadership has said the factional president Chinedu Okoronkwo has no authority to speak on behalf of the association.
“Chinedu Okoronkwo is not the president and has no right to talk on behalf of the association.
“The issue of IPMAN presidency has been settled by the Supreme Court on 14th Dec. 2018. Okoronkwo isn’t in contact with members of IPMAN and doesn’t represent their interests.”
Speaking separately, the National Chairman of the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), Alhaji Yusuff Lawal Othman, dismissed the claim of the national chairman of the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum, Alhaji Mohammed Danzaki.
He dismissed the group as non-existent, maintaining that only NARTO is known to players in the downstream sector of the oil industry.
“We don’t know ADITOP. The government only relates with NARTO for the haulage of petroleum products.
“We are the owners of vehicles and the petroleum tanker drivers are our drivers. If they say they are the owners, who are their drivers?
“NARTO is the only recognised association that discusses with government on haulage; we discuss with PTD on drivers’ allowances.”
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