The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has expressed concern over the sale of petroleum products to members of IPMAN above the approved template of N148 at private depots of members of Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA).
It noted that the development is inimical to their survival and has asked the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to beam it’s searchlight on the depots.
The National President of IPMAN, Debo Ahmed and National Publicity Secretary, Chinedu Ukadike, made the call in a joint statement made available to newsmen.
While IPMAN agreed that its members would stick to the government approved price of N165 per litre at retail outlets across the country, it called on the NNPCL to save his members from the excesses of DAPPMA.
“The government is doing nothing about the private depots that are violating the system by selling higher. IPMAN members have suffered a lot in the hands of private depot owners.
“We appreciate the efforts of NNPC to make the product available but you cannot rob Peter to pay Paul. We have really suffered a lot of setbacks based on the cost of diesel.
“We aren’t saying there is non-availability of petroleum products, but what is available isn’t sufficient. The cost of diesel has also increased.
“These two factors have led to profiteering at tank farms, whereby marketers buy petroleum products at the rate of N169 to N170 above government controlled pump price.
“It is becoming increasingly difficult for marketers to sell petroleum products with this little margin. It is easy for marketers to move products from NNPCL depots to sell at N165 but we aren’t getting at N148, which is the government template for private depot tank farm owners to sell to marketers, we are getting at N160. There is no way a marketer will use N5 to sell petroleum products,” the petrol marketers stated.
IPMAN called on the NNPC, to ensure that there is sufficient supply of the products.
“These products are being sold to private depots at government approved rates, not above N148. If they can’t stick to approved template, they should close down those tank farms selling above what government has stipulated.”
Meanwhile, the IPMAN leadership has said the factional president Chinedu Okoronkwo has no authority to speak on behalf of the association.
