Yuletide: NNPC diversion of fuel through DAPMAN likely to cause scarcity – IPMAN
The Lagos State chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), led by its Chairman, Alhaji Alanamu Balogun, last week, threatened to withdraw its services across Lagos State and parts of Ogun State, effective December 11, due to irregular fuel supply at NNPC’s Ejigbo satellite depot.
It said over 900 filling stations will be shut down, which might lead to fuel crisis during the Christmas and New Year festivities.
IPMAN said it took the decision because its members had been running their fuel stations at a loss over the past eight months due to NNPC’s default in the bulk purchase agreement it signed with IPMAN to sell fuel to its members at ₦133.28k per litre.
According to IPMAN, a litre of fuel (PMS) is being sold to its members by DAPMAN at N141, apart from running costs, bank charges and other expenses which made it impossible for operators to sell a litre of fuel at controlled price of ₦145, rather they sell ₦146 per litre.
The association alleged that while the NNPC had refused to sell fuel to its members regularly, it is diverting the supplies to DAPMAN at a price of ₦117 per litre and DAPMAN in turn, is selling to IPMAN members at ₦141 per litre.
“We believe that NNPC is doing this to deliberately cause fuel crisis because it could not control DAPMAN not to inflate prices beyond government’s fixed prices,” it said.
Meanwhile, Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC)’s claim that ex-depot price of petrol remains at N133.38 per litre, may have been faulted by Daily Sun findings across some depots in Apapa, Lagos.
The NNPC, in a statement released yesterday, maintained that the ex-depot petrol price of ₦133.38 per litre and the pump price of ₦143/₦145 per litre have not changed as the corporation has enough stock of fuel to ensure seamless supply and distribution of products across the country during the Yuletide.
‘‘The NNPC has once again emphasised that there are no plans to increase the prices of petroleum products both at the ex-depot level and pump price ahead of the forthcoming Yuletide,” the statement said.
But a document exclusively obtained by Daily Sun on the market survey position for petroleum products yesterday across some depots in Apapa, showed that eight dealers sold petrol above the ex-depot price of ₦133.38 approved by NNPC.
A breakdown of the ex-depot price of petrol showed that Fatgbems, Obat, Sahara, Techno and Wosab sold at ₦143 per litre yesterday, while NIPCO and Stallonire sold for ₦140 per litre and the D Jones ₦142 per litre.
IPMAN implored President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly, the DPR, the Minister of Petroleum, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Ambode Akinwunmi, the Inspector General of Police and other security agencies to call the NNPC and DAPMAN to order, or the IPMAN will withdraw services and shut down all stations in Lagos State.
NNPC enjoined motorists and other users of petroleum products to disregard trending rumours of an impending fuel price hike, saying it has the full commitment of all downstream stakeholders, including petroleum marketers and industry unions, to cooperate in achieving zero fuel scarcity this season and beyond.
The corporation advised motorists not to engage in panic buying or indulge in the dangerous practice of stocking petroleum products in jerry cans at home.
NNPC assured that its downstream subsidiary companies, namely, the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) and NNPC Retail Limited are fully geared up to ensure that motorists enjoy uninterrupted access to petrol throughout the nation.
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