Kerosene Pump Price: Marketers Remain Adamant

In spite of the efforts by the government to make kerosene available at an affordable price to all Nigerians, some filling stations ownedby major marketers in the state sell the product way above the stipulated pump price of N50 per litre.

Our investigation shows that Mobile filling station Rumukrushi junction Aba Road which was allocated 33,000 litres of kerosene was selling at N105 per litre while Mobile Ahaoda sold at N100 per litre as at last week.

AP Mega Station Iwofe sold at N125 per litre while Oando Aba Road sold 20 litres that was suppose to go for N1,000 at N3,000. One Mrs Allen told The Tide that  she gets to the filling station before 6:30am and stays for hours before the station manager would eventually consider to sell the his product.

She appealed to government to ensure that station operators complied with to the stipulated pump price.

In  a related development, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) spokesman, Mr Levi Ajuopnuma has debunked the claim by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) that NNPC engaged in disproportionate allocation of kerosene in favour of the major marketers.

According to him at the last count IPMAN members had received a haul of over 116 million litres.

“It may interest the public to note that between January and June 2011 and June 20, 11 through  coastal lifting. NIPCO, the commercial trading arm of (IPMAN) received at told 116,015,900 litres if household kerosene (HHK).

He stated that between May 9 and 25. IPMAN loaded 196 tracks of kerosene while Moman loaded 155 trucks. He said that in the days ahead it may be be necessary to publish details of daily loading by IPMAN at the corporation’s facilities to ensure clarifications.

The NNPC spokesman said that the daily average national consumption requirement is eight million litres but the corporation has consistently surpassed this requirement by flooding the market with kerosene on daily basis.

He disclosed that at present, the corporation has 54.26 days sufficiency; in January the national requirement was surpassed by over four million while last month it had an excess of two million litres.

Vivian-Peace Nwinaene