Edo IPMAN cautions DPR over shut down of fuel stations

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Edo State has cautioned the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) over incessant closure of their members’ filling stations by the body and the Edo State Petroleum Monitoring Committee over sale of PMS above the official N87 per litre.

Chairman of IPMAN in the state, David Ikhuoria said that the reason for the discrepancies in prices which ranged from N100 to N110 per litre was because his members were not getting petroleum products from the NNPC depots in Benin and Warri but were getting from private depots in Oghara, Delta State and therefore threatened to stop the supply of fuel in the state if the closure continued.

He appealed to the state government task force to see reasons with them in the interest of peace.

According to him, “we buy products from private depots in Oghara and they sell to us for N95. Othniel Energy sell at N99, Rain Oil N95. After that we will pay transport and by the time it gets to Benin we now sell N110 or N105. If we were buying from Warri depot we would have been selling at that N87 per litre but the whole country goes there to load fuel.

“Warri depot is bringing out 1.5million litres per day. And the number of trucks that goes to Edo State is not up to five. For the past five days no truck have loaded from Warri to Benin. So there will be serious scarcity in Edo State very soon because my members have stopped going to Oghara to buy fuel since the state government and DPR are closing down our filling stations.

“DPR has its people that work with these private depots where we buy fuel, all they can do is to regulate the prices and not punishing us for trying to buy products for our people in Edo State. It is unfair. If we buy at N99, we will add transportation and a little profit so we are appealing to the state government to also understand our plight. If our people stop buying products from Oghara there will be scarcity in Edo State because Benin depot is not working now.”

But the Director of Operations of the Committee, Nosa Idele-Ogbeide told The Guardian yesterday that most of the marketers bought from major marketers through the black market and then under-dispense to none discerning members of the public to make exorbitant gains.

He said that the committee would continue to do its work for the benefit of members of the public.