The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has blamed Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) for the current scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) known as fuel in the country.
The IPMAN chairman, Enugu Depot Unit, Mr Chinedu Anyaso, stated this on Friday in Enugu during the Annual General Meeting (AGM) of the Depot Unit at their Headquarters in Emene.
Anyaso attributed the current scarcity to the failure of the NNPC to sell product to their members, despite the claim that there was enough product, who he said had resorted to buying from Private Depot Owners at an exorbitant price.
He said that his members can not sell the product at the approved pump price, after buying it very expensive, stressing that many IPMAN members were really struggling to be in business because of the condition NNPC had subjected them to.
The IPMAN Enugu boss regretted that the development had contributed in forcing independent oil marketers in the unit not to sell the PMS at same price, which had further added to the pains of the masses.
“If all things are equal, our members will sell at uniform price but you do not sell at uniform price when you have scarcity.
“Now you can not find the product, so people sell as they source. We go out of our way to source for the product.
“The NNPC is suppose to give us product at the rate of N148.17 but as at now, we source at N212, N215, you add N3 loading expenses, coming up N218.
“Then add N15 transport fare down to Enugu here, you fund out, we have almost approach N230 landing cost, so it becomes impossible to sell at the government approved pump price”, Anyaso said.
He, however, added that IPMAN members would revert to the old pump price, once the NNPC start selling products to them directly, instead of Private Depot Owner, who in turn sell to them at exorbitant price.
