The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has said its members do not get enough Premium Motor Spirit supply from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in the wake of scarcity of products sweeping across the country.
The association currently has more than 3000 members controlling the largest share of filling stations across the country.
Chairman Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Ore Depot, Engr Shina Amoo told newsmen that the NNPCL currently the sole importer of petroleum products, has failed to supply its members with adequate products capable of catering for the activities of its members in the last three years.
He said, “There is no supply anywhere. For now, the only supply available is not well distributed. We have been making noise about the distribution pattern long ago. We had a type of arrangement before now, where we used to enjoy 70/30 supply based on our strength. If you go to areas like villages, and urban areas, you will see lots of independent marketers where you would not find any major or semi-major marketers.
“But now we can’t even talk of IPMAN when it comes to supply. We are not even being considered when it comes to supply. Go around, if you see 50 petrol stations, and you take a random sample, you will discover that only between three to eight would be selling products. And these products we are selling, we are getting them at premium prices.
Virtually all the depots we buy from sell to us at prices they want to sell from the neighbourhood of between ₦750 to ₦850.
He said the major problem is fuel subsidies, and NNPCL as the sole importer.
Amoo spoke to the rise in prices of products at the depots after the removal of subsidies, saying if corruption was removed from the downstream system, prices of products would be forced to drop.
