The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has apportioned blames to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) for the current fuel scarcity being experienced in many cities in Nigeria. The association made this blame on Tuesday through the chairman of the Ore Depot, Shina Amoo on Tuesday.
According to Amoo, NNPCL’s failure to make the product available is responsible for the scarcity of premium motor spirit also called petrol across the nation. He added that the national oil company, as the sole importer of petroleum products, has not provided sufficient supplies to IPMAN for the past three years, leading to a dire situation for its members. these allegations were made during his appearance on Channels Television Morning brief on Tuesday.
“There is no supply anywhere. The available supply is poorly distributed. We have been raising concerns about this for a long time. We previously had an arrangement where we enjoyed a 70/30 supply ratio based on our capacity.
“Independent marketers are spread across villages and urban areas, yet we are not being considered in the supply chain,” Amoo lamented.
NNPCL had earlier announced that the current fuel scarcity was as a result of distribution challenges which would be addressed by this week. This was communicated by the Chief Corporate Communications Officer, Olufemi Soneye.
However, Amoo lamented that the NNPCL has been side-lining IPMAN in favour of other groups such as DAPPMAN and MEMAN which has made its members turn to private depots for supply.
He said previously, it took a week to load products, but now, the process drags on for three to five months.
“Previously, after payment, it took a week to load products. Now, the process drags on for three to five months. This has made many of us turn to private depots, even though they charge premium prices.
“NNPCL abandoned the distribution pattern and stopped being sincere. They no longer supply IPMAN but prefer to supply others. The volume they provide is insufficient for our needs,” Amoo stated.
He also mentioned that fuel subsidy removal, and corruption within the downstream sector, is responsible for the skyrocketing prices of petrol.
Major Nigerian cities including the FCT had been experiencing fuel scarcity, forcing drivers to turn to black market sellers who peg their fuel prices at a high rate. The NNPCL, Nigeria’s only oil regulating company promised to address the fuel situation by mid-week.
