We’ve not received any payment for petrol from marketers – Dangote

The Dangote Petroleum Refinery on Thursday said it has not received any payment from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) for the purchase refined petroleum products.

Dangote Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Anthony Chiejina, disclosed this in a statement amid ongoing controversy regarding the sale of petroleum products between the refinery and independent marketers.

President of Dangote, Alhaji Aliko Dangote, had said he has over 500m litres of premium motor spirit (PMS), also known as petroleum, in stock and is asking marketers to stop importation.

IPMAN also said they were ready to buy directly from Dangote but this has been difficult as the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) is still the sole off-taker.

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However, Dangote refinery, in the statement, said it is misleading for IPMAN members to claim that “they are experiencing difficulties loading refined products from our petroleum refinery, as we currently have no direct business dealings with them.”

 “Consequently, we cannot be held responsible for any payments made to other entities,” Chiejina claimed.

He reiterated that the payment mentioned by IPMAN had been made through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and not Dangote refinery.

Chiejina said, “In the same vein, NNPCL has neither approved, nor authorised us to release our Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to IPMAN.

“We would like to emphasise that we can meet the nation’s demand for all petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel. At present, we can load 2,900 trucks per day and we have also been evacuating petroleum products by sea.

“We advise IPMAN to register with us and make direct payment as we have more than enough petroleum products to satisfy the needs of their members.

“Furthermore, we believe it is instructive for all stakeholders to refrain from making unfounded statements in the media, as that could undermine the economic re-engineering efforts of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Conducting business through public speculation is counterproductive and unpatriotic.

“In the interest of our country, we encourage all stakeholders to collaborate and heed the advice of President Tinubu, while promoting a unified approach, rather than engaging in media conflicts and needless propaganda.”