Fuel Crisis: NNPCL, IPMAN Reach Agreement On Direct Supply, Pricing

The scarcity of petrol and arbitrary increases being experienced across the country would ease in a few days following agreement reached by Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).

Stakeholders in the downstream sub-sector of the oil and gas industry recently met with different security agencies in a determined effort to resolve the problem.

IPMAN’s national operations controller, Mr Mike Osatuyi, who confirmed the development, also said, the IPMAN is not planning to shut down operations following federal governments announcement to enforce N195 a liter pump price for the product.

Under the agreement, Osatuyi said, members of the association will begin to get supply directly from the NNPC.

He added that, going forward, the independent marketers, in breaking the festering scarcity, has received assurance of direct supply of petrol from the NNPC.

The moves came on the heels of a critical meeting between NNPC, Major Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), IPMAN, Depots and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) and the Department of State Services (DSS) amongst others.

The national operations controller, said, the NNPC has agreed to sell petrol directly to IPMAN members at the regulated official price, rather than routing products through third parties, who had been severally fingered as being behind inflated wholesale supply prices.

Osatuyi said, direct sale of products to independent marketers “will bring down the price of the product”, noting that direct sale of products to independent marketers will lead to immediate reversal of retail prices to regulated retail price.

He said: “I can tell you that the NNPC has agreed to be giving IPMAN petrol directly and not through a third party.

“The federal  government  of Nigeria and the Inspector General of Police should  call the federal  task force on petroleum  products to order as their recent actions is geared towards  intimidation and exploitation.

“IPMAN will work  with  them in a peaceful  and friendly  atmosphere  to fish  out fraudulent  members among IPMAN members  that can be proven  but not exploitative  agenda.”

The IPMAN on Sunday debunked insinuations that marketers are getting set to shut down operations beginning from Monday once the government starts the enforcement of N195/litre pump price.

Osatuyi said it became necessary to debunk the insinuation that IPMAN members planned to shut down their stations.

He said that the NNPC is preparing the logistics  to start giving petrol to IPMAN members directly.

He advised members to open up there stations and start  selling to the public nationwide.

He said IPMAN is a responsible association that will not  involve in undermining the national security as petrol is a national security product.

According to him, “Apart  from IPMAN members loading at DAPPMAN depots in Abule-Ado, ijegun axis of Lagos has agreed to sell petrol at N172 per litre to IPMAN members as part of the federal government and DAPMAN efforts  in ensuring  Nigerians enjoy the subsidy  regime.”

He added that lPMAN will also load  in NIPCO and MRS depots massively for South West and North West part of the country in few days time.

Osatuyi said the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) must be applauded for cancelling the  N3 union charges on petrol  in the last two days at depots, adding that, however, government  should advise  NUPENG/ PTD to bring down the transportation cost to various parts of the country where a reasonable profit will be made by the transport owners and the benefits  of subsidy equally  be enjoyed  by the public so as to enable IPMAN members to sell at reasonable and  near approved  prices nationwide.