Fuel Scarcity Looms As Marketers Threaten Nationwide Strike

A nationwide fuel scarcity may be in the offing as the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to the federal government to settle outstanding bridging claims amounting to N100 billion.

In a communique issued by the  IPMAN on Monday, the depot chairmen forum the association accused the NMDPRA of ignoring their demands despite promises made during a stakeholders’ meeting over one year ago.

The one-week ultimatum was announced by Yahaya Alhasan, chairman of the IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum, during a press conference in Abuja.

Alhassan said the association would withdraw its tankers from loading petroleum products and distributing same if the claims are not settled within seven working days.

According to him, if the debt is not paid within seven working days from Monday, February 24, 2025, IPMAN will liaise with petroleum tanker drivers and the National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO)  to withdraw services across the country, which could lead to a significant disruption in fuel distribution.

The debt, which has been pending for over a year, was deducted from marketers’ payments to cover bridging allowances.

Nine northern depots, including those in Jos, Gusau, Minna, Suleja, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Yola, and Maiduguri, have already been grounded by the situation.

IPMAN has also condemned a five per cent levy imposed by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), calling it unconstitutional.

The association also urged President Bola Tinubu to intervene in the dispute, warning that failure to meet their demands could lead to a nationwide fuel crisis.

The looming strike could exacerbate existing fuel supply challenges, as tanker drivers in Lagos have also halted operations due to alleged harassment by government officials.

“One of those promises was made by the NMDPRA at the stakeholders’ meeting convened on the eve of the last strike declared by NARTO.

“At that stakeholders’ meeting, NARTO listed this same IPMAN bridging claims as part of their demands before the strike would be called off.

“The NMDPRA promised to offset the bridging claims in 40 days even in the presence of the national security adviser, Mal. Nuhu Ribadu, and the DG DSS, Mr. Adeola Ajayi. However, 40 days have today become months with no hope of our payment,” he said.

According to Alhassan, the union had also continued to record the deaths of members, closure of their businesses, retrenchment of staff, and the take-over of their business premises by the commercial banks, all arising from the refusal of the NMDPRA to pay out the monies.

“Another worrisome development is the NMDPRA’s imposition of several abnormal levies on our members.

“Chief amongst them is the imposition of a five per cent commission accruable to them at the sale of any petrol station outlet in Nigeria. Tell me, when has the NMDPRA turned itself into real estate agents, collecting a commission on sales of Retail Petrol Outlets?.

“And so, as IPMAN members, we go the extra mile to renovate our outlets occasionally, to meet with international best practices.

“However, the NMDPRA has also made this very difficult for us, as they have also subjected our members to paying bizarre levies whenever we deem it fit to renovate our petrol outlets.

These are just a few of the many distressing levies they have forced on us; these are not only anti-developmental, they are also unconstitutional, and we are demanding their immediate suspension,” he said.

“We call on our members nationwide to however remain resolute and law abiding, as we wait for our demands to be met and addressed by the NMDPRA,” he added.