IPMAN Decries Discrimination Against Members At Aba Depot

Some members of the
Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), under the aegis of Concerned Marketers at the Pipeline and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) a subsidiary of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Aba Depot have decried the alleged discrimination against some of them in the allocation of petroleum products.
In a statement on Monday in Aba, Abia State, the spokesman of the Concerned Marketers, Mr. Levi Amah said the discrimination against some of the IPMAN members at the depot has made it difficult for majority of the association members to be allocated petroleum products.
Amah said many of the IPMAN members in Aba had to source for products from other neighbouring states with its attendant added costs, stressing that they can no longer sell the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) at the government approved pump price of 87 per litre.
He accused the leadership of the IPMAN at the depot of high handedness, exploitation and with some officials of PPMC at the Aba depot to deprive some of the association members of petroleum products.
He said marketers at Aba depot were made to pay between N200,000 and N400,000 for allocation of PMS popularly known as petrol and about N1 million for DPK known as kerosene, adding that any objection to this directive by the IPMAN leadership, such marketers would be harassed and intimidated by thugs stationed at the depot.
The Concerned Marketers spokesperson further explained that the unwholesome practice was perfected with the active connivance of some officials of IPPMC Aba depot and stressed that if the scenario continues, it will be extremely difficult for some of the marketers to sell PMS at the pump price approved rate.
The marketers urged for quick intervention to restore normalcy at the Aba depot. The Eastern Zonal Chairman of IPMAN could not be reached when our correspondent visited  his office in Port Harcourt for their comment since the Aba depot is under the Zonal IPMAN office.

Philip Okparaji