The Independent Petro
leum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has blamed the increase in the price of fuel in parts of the South East on charges by private depot owners.
The Chairman of the Enugu Zone 1 of the association, comprising Anambra, Enugu and Ebonyi, Chief Linus Mgbakaogu, told newsmen  in Awka that the NNPC depots provided skeletal services at the government regulated prices.
Mgbakaogu said the skeletal loading at the NNPC depot had resulted to the scarcity of the products at major filling stations within the South East.
He also urged the NNPC to urgently revamp the Enugu depot to ease the distribution of petroleum products in the zone.
The IPMAN zonal chairman assured consumers in the area that efforts were on to normalise the price and availability of the products.
“All private depots in the country are selling products at between N110 and N115 per litre. NNPC is selling at government price but due to skeletal loading, most marketers cannot get product from there; so we go to these private depots to get so that we can service customers.
“We have concluded discussions with NNPC so that we can get intervention supplies. So we are appealing to customers to bear with us in the meantime as things will revert to normal soon,” he said.
Meanwhile, the price of petrol in Awka and its environs has remained N130 in most of the filling stations.
The NNPC mega station outside the state capital with long queue of motorists is the only station offering fuel at the regulated pump price.
A marketer, Mr Benjamin Abimaje of Femas filling station, Awka said he got his supply at N122 per litre from private depots.
“The sales volume has reduced drastically because customers are reacting negatively but we cannot sell below purchase price.
“It now takes longer time to get delivery after payment, may be because there is shortage of supply at the depots. It’s difficult getting supply at NNPC which is selling at normal price,” he said.