IPMAN dismisses fuel diversion accusation by Minister Kachikwu

The National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Chief Obasi Lawson, has dismissed the allegation of the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu, that marketers are diverting fuel to neighbouring countries.

Speaking yesterday in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, while inaugurating Ben Dumbari Dimkpa as the Eastern Zonal Chairman of the Caretaker Committee of IPMAN, he said it was the duty of the Nigeria Customs Service (NCS) to apprehend those involved in diverting fuel.

Kachikwu, who doubles as the Group Managing Director (GMD) of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), had while speaking at a stakeholders’ forum in Lagos accused marketers of diverting fuel, especially petrol, to Chad, Cameroon and other neighbouring countries.

Lawson said: “We met with the Minister (of State for Petroleum Resources) two weeks ago, in connection with fuel scarcity in Nigeria. We made all necessary arrangements to alleviate fuel scarcity in Nigeria. The minister also stated that the fuel scarcity will be over very soon. By the grace of God, fuel scarcity has started to go down drastically. The price (of petrol) is going back to its normal position of N86.50 per litre.”

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