By Zubairu Idris
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to mandate private depot owners to sell petroleum products at approved government prices.
This is contained in a statement by the IPMAN Chairman, Kano Chapter, Alhaji Bashir Danmalam, on Tuesday in Kano.
He sàid the call was necessary to check flagrant and indiscriminate increase of the ex-depot price.
Danmalam said unless the NMDPRA ensured private depot owners sell the product at the approved price, they would continue to dispense the product to marketers at higher price.
He also commended the Federal Government for the recent upward review of petroleum products transporters freight rate.
According to Danmalam, the gesture would assist in checking the challenges associated with the transportation of petroleum products across the country.
He also refuted claim that about N1 billion was paid to Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC).
“I challenge all those making such claims to bring out relevant receipts for the payment of such money to enable the union to take up the matter.
“In February 2021, during COVID-19 pandemic, NNPC introduced ‘customer express’ whereby payments for purchase of petroleum products are done online.
“And the NNPC then set up a committee which ensured that all those with tickets paid manually, were given the product.
“I was a member of that committee which supervised the supply of the product to those marketers who paid manually before the introduction of customer express.
“So, to my knowledge, the only products not delivered by the NNPC is on the recent payments made.
“NNPC has since stopped collecting money from marketers, except through the customer express when it’s sure of having the products in any depot across the country,” Danmalam said.(NAN)
