The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has refuted claims that over N1 billion was paid for petrol by its members and the products have not been delivered since October 2021.
Solacebase recalls that the chairman, IPMAN, Lagos Satellite Depot, Ejigbo, Mr Akin Akinrinade made the claim while speaking with journalists in Lagos on Monday.
However, speaking to newsmen in Kano on Tuesday, IPMAN Kano branch, Alhaji Bashir Danmalam said the claims about the N1 billion paid to Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) was baseless as there was no iota of truth about it.
He, therefore, challenged all those making such claims to bring out relevant receipts for the payment of such money to enable the union to take up the matter.
He recalled that in about February 2021 following the outbreak of COVID-19, the NNPC introduced customer express whereby payments for purchase of product were done online and the NNPC then set up a committee which ensured that all those with tickets paid manually were given the product.
“I was a member of that committee that supervised the supply of the product to those marketers who paid manually before the introduction of customer express.
“So, we should stop politicising the issue of petroleum business. To my knowledge the only products not delivered by the NNPC is on the recent payments made.
“NNPC has since stopped collecting money from marketers except through the customer express when it’s sure of having the products in any depot across the country,” Danmalam said.
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He, therefore, called on the Federal Government to prevail on management of Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to ensure that all private depot owners sell the product at the approved Government price.
According to him, the failure by the Management of NMDPRA under the leadership of Faruk Ahmed Maishanu to check the excesses of private depot owners, was responsible for the flagrant and indiscriminate increase of the ex-depot price.
He said the Federal Government under President Muhammadu Buhari should even be commended for the recent upward review of petroleum products transporters freight rate as the gesture was aimed at checking the challenges associated with the transportation of petroleum products across the country.
Danmalam said unless and until the NMDPRA ensure private depot owners sell the product at the approved government price, they would continue to dispense of the commodity at higher price.
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