Nigerian motorists have been given an assurance that the fuel scarcity that has lasted for a week would ease off in a short while.
Chairman of Major Energies Marketers Association of Nigeria, Huub Stokman gave the hint, stressing that eight vessels carrying 300m litres of fuel would offload within a week.
“Our top priority as MEMAN is to restore stability and ensure fuel supply with all depots and retail outlets across Nigeria promptly. We want to reassure the public that there is an adequate supply of PMS available,” said Mr. Stokman.
“Our members are taking over 8 vessels this week with over 300m litres which is well above our normal level. Our depots will extend their loading times to ensure we load out as much as we can including tomorrow. Our partners in NARTO and PTDs have assured us of their support to make sure the product gets to the retail outlets quickly and safely. We would extend opening time of selected retail outlets to serve our customers as quickly as possible.”
But in another development, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Depot Chairmen Forum, has threatened to shut down supply over non-payment of N200 billion bridging claims by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to its members, since 2022.
Alhaji Yahaya Alhassan, the Chairman of the Forum said this while briefing newsmen on Tuesday in Abuja.
“It is with deep frustration that we have assembled here today as the IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum. It is also disheartening to note that some of our members have completely shut down businesses and retrenched employees.
“As businessmen and women, our members acquired bank loans to keep their fuel retail outlets running on a daily basis across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria in order to serve the teeming population of Nigerians,’’ Alhassan said.
He recalled that Sen. Heineken Lokpobiri, Minister of State Petroleum Resources (Oil), at a stakeholders meeting in February mandated the NMDPRA management to clear the entire debt in 40 days.
“However, today, we have crossed the 40 days’ time lapse given to the NMDPRA to clear the debt, and it is shameful to state that only the paltry sum of N13 billion has been paid, ignoring the minister’s directive.
“We are not happy with the indiscriminate increment in the issuance and renewal of Sales and Storage Licence, by the NMDPRA, and the subsequent delays in acquiring the licence, which our members are recently subjected to.
“We are also calling on President Bola Tinubu to look into this unwholesome figure which is highly detrimental to our business and reverse it forthwith, as it is bound to impact negatively on the masses.”
The group also exonerated its members from the current fuel scarcity in the country. According to IPMAN, the is caused by its inability to source petroleum products.
Alhassan said the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC Ltd.) was the sole importer of the product, but the marketers could not source products from NNPC Ltd. deport, rather from the private depots at high rate.
“We cannot buy fuel from the private depots at N950 and transport the product from Lagos to the North and other parts of the country with N2 million and still sell it at N900 or N1, 000.
“It is expedient for us to state that we are more pained by the non-availability of petroleum products in the country, which has given rise to another round of untold hardship for Nigerians.
“Contrary to claims that IPMAN members are hoarding Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as fuel, we would like to categorically state that PMS scarcity is wholly triggered by inability to get fuel from NNPC and not IPMAN,’’ he said.
