Marketers decry lack of petroleum products at NNPC depots, blame Nigerian govt for scarcity

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Ogun State on Sunday decried the shortage of petroleum products at the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited depots across the country.

Fuel queues had resurfaced in Lagos and other parts of the country in the last few days with marketers selling the products approved the approved pump prices.

Black market operators are also having a field day selling the products at exorbitant prices to motorists and other consumers.

In a statement made available to journalists in Abeokuta, Ogun State, and signed by the chairman of the Mosinmi Depot, Otunba Femi Adelaja, IPMAN blamed the federal government and NNPC Limited for failing to make petrol affordable for its members.

The statement read: “Leadership of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Ogun State has noticed with serious concerns, the scarcity of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) commonly referred to as petrol across towns and cities in Ogun State, with its attendant hike in the dispensing price above the federal government stipulated price.

“Be informed that this crisis was not caused by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), but rather, the Federal Government and the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), who have failed to make the product available for our members at affordable prices.

READ ALSO: NLC, TUC warn Buhari govt on lingering fuel scarcity, threatens strike

“As we speak, PMS is not available in any of the NNPC’s depots across the country.

“The few litres being sold to members of the public by our members were secured from the management of private depots in Lagos, who would sell the product to us at an exorbitant price of between N215 and N220 per litre.

“Prior till now, IPMAN members do get our supplies from the NNPC depots at N148.17k, but since it’s not available in these depots, the private depot owners in Lagos now sell to us at a price of N215.30k, excluding the cost of transportation and other handling and overhead costs.

“So, by the time we add other overhead costs to the price of purchase, it brings the landing cost of fuel to between N245 and N250 per litre, excluding transportation, which costs charges N15 per litre, from Lagos to Abeokuta depending on the location to offload such.

“This implied that for us to dispense the product, which we got from a third-hand to members of the public and also meet up with the other overhead costs including running of the filling stations on the generator and payment of staff, we have to sell at the price of N270 per litre which we are selling currently across Ogun State.”

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