Imminent Fuel Scarcity Looms …As IPMAN Issues FG 14-Day Ultimatum

Rivers State Deputy Governor, Dr. (Mrs) Ipalibo Harry Banigo, chatting with the Head of Civil Service, Rivers State, Barr. Rufus Godwin during the State Civil Service 2016 thanksgiving/dedication service organised by the state Civil Service in Port Harcourt, yesterday.

As part of measures of registering its discontent over perceived imbalance in the sharing and distribution of petroleum products to marketers, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to regularise the present formula or risk stoppage of operations.
The 14-day ultimatum was issued to the Federal Government by IPMAN, after a stakeholders meeting held at the IPMAN’s office at the Port Harcourt Refinery depot on Wednesday
Addressing newsmen at the end of the stakeholders meeting, the Chairman, Council of Elders of IPMAN, Dr Emmanuel Ihedigbo, decried a  situation where petroleum products were being shared on the basis of 35% to major marketers, while Independent Marketers receive 30% despite the fact that they have about 85% of the outlets to service Nigerians.
Ihedigbo demanded that independent marketers should be allocated 60% to enable them meet the demands of petroleum products consumers.
Ihedigbo said IPMAN was being slighted in the present sharing and distribution formula, where petroleum products allocated to private depots are sold to major marketers and mega stations and contended that NNPC should designate a tank farm to IPMAN to enable members procure products with ease at the regulated government approved ex-depot price.
The chairman of IPMAN council of elders also lamented the efficiencies in NNPC depots as well as lack of security of petroleum products, stressing that private depots should be properly monitored by the department of Petroleum Resources and Petroleum Products Pricing and Regulatory Agency (PPPRA) to ensure availability of products at all times.
The condemned the constraint intimidation of Independent Marketers by the regulatory and security agencies for reasons that are never substantiated, and emphasised that Independent Marketers should be given the opportunity to buy products at government approved ex-depot price to enable them sell at government approved pump price of N86.50 per litre.
While commending President Muhammadu Buhari for marching words with action in answering that the refineries were back on stream again.
The IPMAN stressed the need for the refineries to operate at full capacity to ensure products availability and address the anomalies in the system.

Taneh Beemene