The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has threatened to close down their filling stations over harassment by security agencies.
Mr Chinedu Anyaso, IPMAN Chairman, Enugu Depot Community said this while fielding questions from journalists in Awka on Thursday.
Anyaso said marketers in Anambra had complained that personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) were visiting IPMAN stations to enforce price and distribution.
He said that marketers would continue to operate within the standards approved by the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), which are the only lawful regulator in the industry.
“The leadership of IPMAN has received disturbing complaints from our members in Anambra that NSCDC officials come to their stations to harass them in the name of enforcement.
“We may be forced to shutdown if it continues, we are only answerable to NMDPRA on issues of compliance and enforcement,” he said.
The chairman commended IPMAN members in the zone for ensuring availability of product in spite the challenges in supply.
He said it was regrettable that petrol was selling at N200 and blamed it on the hike at the depots.
”We don’t buy products from NNPC, we buy from Warri and Calabar depots, the cost there is N180 per litre.
”And by the time you pay for loading and transportation, landing cost is about N190, this is why it is not possible to sell at N165 per liter.
”We want to call on the Federal Government through the NNPC to address the issues of supply and price to control the market because the private depots are the ones determining everything,” he said.
In his reaction, DSC Edwin Okadigbo, NSCDC’s Public Relations Officer in the state said the corps only embarked on monitoring to ensure there was no hoarding of products and that marketers sold at the approved price.
Okadigbo said the personnel wanted to ensure there was no economic sabotage, noting that there was neither arrest nor harassment of marketers.
“It is not true we harassed anybody, we only monitored to ensure that there was no economic sabotage, we made sure that those who have products were selling and at the approved price.
“Nobody was arrested, nobody was intimidated or harassed,” he said.
