The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) has decried the current petrol scarcity experienced across the country.
Ukadike Chinedu, Publicity Secretary of IPMAN, said the private marketers, like citizens, are suffering as a result of the current petrol scarcity.
He said IPMAN was worried that despite the good conditions of the Port Harcourt and Warri refineries, the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited has yet to start refining crude oil to address the re-occurring fuel scarcity.
Speaking with Arise Television on Monday, he noted that only if the refineries start working would petrol scarcity be addressed in the country.
“I know there was a broadcast or a news brief that the president of IPMAN, Abubakar Maigandi, you know, opined that President Bola Tinubu should declare a state of emergency in our refineries and give the refineries MDs and those in charge of that refinery 30 days ultimate to ensure that production should start.
“That is the only panacea to this lingering or epileptic scarcity in Nigeria. If our refinery is working at the optimal level, the four refineries are working at the optimal level, dates of these refineries have been shifted. I don’t know whether it’s political, I don’t know whether it’s logistics, I don’t know whether it’s technical, but I have visited the refinery myself.
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“A lot of job has been done. They have done a very wonderful job. The refinery is almost like a brand-new refinery.”
Ukadike said IPMAN was aware that the Federal Government supplied 1 million barrels of crude oil to the PortHarcourt and Warri refineries to ensure production starts.
He explained that the current scarcity of petrol supply to marketers is costing the marketers up to ₦50 million to buy petrol.
“And I was wondering what is holding and I heard that the federal government has also supplied 1 million barrels of crude oil to PortHarcourt refinery. And if actually these things are all going on and the refineries are about to kick start, I also believe that the president should drastically, since the minister has gone to that place, the president should make a move to that refinery and see what is holding the refinery.
“The Warri refinery I heard is complete, the contractors have handed it over to NNPC. What is holding it? The country is suffering. We the businessmen, we the independent marketers are suffering. We cannot put huge investment in the filling stations and at the end of the day we can’t see product to sell.
“Our business, primary business is to sell fuel to commuters, store fuel to individuals, a kind of provide services. Now we cannot even pay salaries. The huge amount of money used in buying petroleum product is so huge that sometimes most of us are suffering from high blood pressure because we cannot be able to make up money to buy product to buy at ₦8 million. Now we are buying at the cost of ₦40 million to ₦50 million,” Ukadike added.
