Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria explain reason for fuel scarcity

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) yesterday explained what necessitated the fresh scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in some parts of the country.

Its national vice president, Abubakar Maigandi, who spoke with newsmen, alleged that the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) was delaying the loading of independent marketers’ trucks at its depots.


He added that the private depots that were opened to the independent marketers were selling above the official pump price.

His words: “In the NNPC, there is serious delay in loading. Then the private depots are selling above the government stipulated rate. This has stopped most of the independent marketers not to buy it.

“They are selling between N141 to N145 per litre in the depots in Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar and Warri. This is the serious issue why we are having serious challenges. If care is not taken, there will be serious scarcity. Government needs to quickly intervene for the sake of the people.”

But, a News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) survey around the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) showed that the queues resurfaced early yesterday morning at a few stations, especially in the central area.

A drive around the metropolis showed that some of the fuel stations, which hitherto had idle pump attendants, now had queues to attend to.

Commercial motorists in Aba, the commercial hub of Abia State, yesterday lamented the sharp increase in pump price of PMS.

When our source went round the commercial town on Monday, some marketers around Park Road and Milverton area sold a litre of PMS between N144-N145. Transporters were yesterday greeted with a new pump price, which sells between N148-N150.

Some of the transporters, including Mr. Kelechi Chukwu, expressed fears that if nothing was done by the Federal Government and the NNPC to ensure adequate supply of the product, there would be high cost of transportation fare this festive season.

A marketer, who spoke with newsmen added that they were selling the product depending on the part of the country, where they sourced the product from.

Some petrol stations in Benin City metropolis sold PMS for between N150 and N160 per litre yesterday.

Motorists, who did not want to purchase from petrol stations, opted to stay in long queue where fuel was sold for N145 per liter.

At Ekenwan Road, only one petrol station was seen selling at the normal approved pump price.

At many petrol stations along Akpakpava road such as Total, Oleum, Oando and Conoil, fuel was sold for N145 per litre.

At the NNPC mega station along Sapele road, petrol was sold for N143 per litre.

Two marketers said they increased the pump price because they bought fuel from depot at N144 per litre.