Joseph Bakare
National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo has asked Nigerians to remain calm and ignore purported plan by the Association to shut their stations nation wide.
Okoronkwo, said as a responsible organization would work against the interest of the country or add to the pains of the public.
Oriental News Nigeria, gathered Alhaji Mohammed Kuluwu, chairman Maiduguri branch in a circular on February 6, ordered members to shut their outlets.
Kuluwu, in the circular said the action is in response to federal governments directive that marketers should sell at approved pump price whereas they are operating at a loss.
But Okoronkwo however said there was no collective agreement to embark on national strike, when he spoke to our reporter.
However, in a twist Mohammed Kuluwu, issued a fresh statement dated 7th February, 2023 calling for suspension of the strike action.
According to Kuluwu, the Association would commence further engagement with relevant authorities to resolve the issue.
Oriental News Nigeria had earlier reported that scarcity of petrol and arbitrary increases being experienced across the country would ease in a few days following agreement reached by Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited, NNPCL.
Stakeholders in the downstream sub sector of the oil and gas industry recently met with different security agencies in a determined effort to resolve the problem.
Mr Mike Osatuyi, IPMAN’s National Operations Controller, who confirmed the development also said the IPMAN, is not planning to shut down operations following Federal Governments announcement to enforce N195 a liter pump price for the product.
Under the agreement, Osatuyi said that members of the Association will begin to get supply from the direct the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
He said that going forward, the independent marketers, in breaking the festering scarcity, has received assurance of direct supply of petrol from the NNPCL.
The moves came on the heels of a critical meeting between NNPCL, Major Marketers Association of Nigeria, 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 sell petrol directly to IPMAN members at the regulated official price, rather than 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.
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 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.”
The IPMAN on Sunday debunked the insinuations that marketers are getting set to shut down operations beginning from Monday once the government starts the enforcement of N195/litre pump price.
Osatuyi said it became necessary to debunk the insinuation that IPMAN members planned to shut down their stations.
He said that the NNPCL is preparing the logistics to start giving 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 involve in undermining the 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 in 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 at 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 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 the media to always cross check any information from IPMAN National body before publishing such information.
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.
