IPMAN blames private tank farm owners in Nigeria for fuel shortage

To me IPMAN is only trying to find a voice to the federal government of Nigeria with all this allegations on private depot owners. We'll see how this affect the distribution of petroleum products in Nigeria.

The Nigerian Tribune has reported that, The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) has blamed the current fuel shortage on sabotage by owners of private tank farms and lack of will by regulatory agency to enforce operation rules.

IPMAN accused the private tank farms owners of hoarding petrol and selling only to those who were willing to pay N95 for a litre instead of the regulated price of N77.66kobo.

Ibadan depot Chairman of the body, Alhaji Olakunle Busari, who made the revelation at a press conference in Ibadan, Oyo State, on Wednesday, said the independent marketers were facing serious challenges in their bid to lift fuel at the regulated price, contrary to the impression smiling to the bank by ripping off Nigerians.

Busari explained that it would not be in the economic interest of any independent marketer to refuse to sell fuel petrol at N87 regulated pump price if supplied by the NNPC because they have bank loans and salaries of workers to pay.

“As of today, the NNPC depot that services Oyo and Osun states has not loaded a single litre of fuel in the last four months. As a result of this, IPMAN members are forced to patronise private depot operators in Lagos who sell to us at exorbitant price.

“If we add the cost of transportation and other depot expenses to the price we buy in Lagos, it makes it virtually impossible for us to sell as the official pump price.

“Related to this is also the fact that the little product allocated to us from the NNPC to be loaded is not given preference of loading at Lagos private depots. It takes eight weeks to load and no (independent) marketer has been serviced more than twice from January till date.

“Another issue is the lopsidedness in the allocation of products among IPMAN, the major marketers and the NNPC retail limited. These set of marketers are given undue preference to the detriment of IPMAN members. It is important to note that the major marketers and the NNPC retail outlets are not up to half of our members.”

“This action by the NNPC has adversely affected the daily volume of product given to IPMAN for loading. The NNPC and in fact the Federal Government should as a matter of urgency give utmost attention to the repair of pipelines within the system 2B network so that product pumping to Ibadan depot will resume within the shortest possible time,” he said.

Responding to the allegation that collaboration between some unscrupulous members of IPMAN and vandals were responsible for the frequent vandalisation, Busari said such allegation was not true and it would not be in the interest of its members to so act.