IPMAN says NNPC has no fuel; canvasses deregulation, subsidy removal
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
There is no single litre of fuel in the depot of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), contrary to its claim over fuel scarcity, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has said.
The NNPC disclosed last Tuesday the latest transportation trauma of already weary citizens is not caused by shortage of petrol but by road repairs in Apapa from where much of the import is conveyed around the country.
NNPC Executive Vice President (Downstream) Adeyemi Adetunju explained in Abuja the chaos will ease as remediation efforts come into full effect.
“The recent queues in Lagos are largely due to ongoing road infrastructure projects around Apapa and access road challenges in some parts of Lagos depots.
“The gridlock is easing out and NNPC has programmed vessels and trucks to unconstrained depots and massive load outs from depots to various states are closely being monitored,” Adetunji said.
“Abuja is impacted by the challenges recorded in Lagos. NNPC retail and key marketers have intensified dedicated loading into Abuja to restore normalcy as soon as possible.
“We want to reassure all Nigerians that NNPC has sufficient products, and we significantly increased product loading, including 24-hour operations in selected depots and extended hours at strategic stations to ensure products sufficiency nationwide.’’
But IPMAN Mosinmi Depot Chairman Femi Adelaja put the blame for scarcity back on both Abuja and the NNPC for their failure to make petrol available to IPMAN members at affordable prices.
“Leadership of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Ogun State has noticed with serious concerns, the scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) commonly referred to as petrol across towns and cities in Ogun State, with its attendant hike in the dispensing price above the federal government stipulated price.
“Be informed that this crisis was not caused by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), but rather, the Federal Government and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), who have failed to make the product available for our members at affordable prices,” Adelaja said in a statement at the weekend.
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Petrol not in NNPC depot nationwide
“As we speak, PMS is not available in any of the NNPC’s depot across the country.
“The few litres being sold to members of the public by our members were secured from management of private depots in Lagos, who would sell the product to us at an exorbitant price of between N215 and N220 per liter,” Adelaja added, per Vanguard.
“Prior till now, IPMAN members do get our supplies from the NNPC depots at N148.17k, but since it’s not available in these depots, the private depot owners in Lagos now sell to us at a price of N215.30k, excluding the cost of transportation and other handling and overhead costs.
“So, by the time we add other overhead cost to the price of purchase, it brings the landing cost of fuel to between N245 and N250 per liter, excluding transportation, which costs charges N15 per liter, from Lagos to Abeokuta depending on the location to offload such.
“This implied that for us to dispense the product, which we got from a third-hand to members of the public and also meet up with the other overhead costs including running of the filling stations on generator and payment of staff, we have to sell at the price of N270 per liter which we are selling currently across Ogun State.”
Adelaja asked the government to remove subsidy on petrol and totally deregulate the sector and dedicate NNPC depots to service IPMAN members in each state in order to end incessant scarcity.