IPMAN threatening shut down in S/E ---Bemoans DPR sealing of member's filling station, auctioning of product

www.odogwublog.com reports that the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria(IPMAN) yesterday threatened to shut down services if the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) continues to harass it's members.

IPMAN as well called on DPR to stop the sealing and auctioning of members' filling stations in the bid to halt the hike in the price of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) in the country.

Chief Ikechukwu Nwankwo, chairman of IPMAN, Enugu Depot made the call after meeting with the leadership of petroleum dealers in Anambra  in Awka.

Nwankwo who was in the state on field monitoring of petrol situation in the state bemoaned the persistent hike and sued for a speedy and sustainable measures to normalise it.

He said the continued clampdown on marketers by the DPR was ill directed and cannot yield the desired result of availability and regular price.

He said IPMAN members were being punished for a problem they did not cause and could not solve.

He said solution to the problem was massive and sufficient supply of petrol into the system by the NNPC.

Nwankwo reiterated that there was scarcity of product and this was responsible for the field day middlemen were having in the distribution chain.

He said marketers did not shutdown because it would amount to shutting the economy and hold the masses hostage.

"I have spoken with my members here in Anambra, the situation of fuel supply is bad and the it is our wish that we begin to get products like the way it used to be before.

"We the IPMAN want to say that we are not happy with the way the DPR is harassing us, closing our stations and auctioning our products.

"This is wicked because it appears they want to push us out of business because we cannot continue to suffer this loss.

"We have not been able to get product from NNPC, DPR should go to those marketers that get allocation from NNPC and monitor them, it is just that we buy product N195 or N205 and sell off at N145.

"We make extra effort to get product at tank depot so that economic activities can go on and we should not be punished for that, we may have to close our stations if they continue to pursue us," he said.

Nwankwo regretted that Enugu Petroleum Depot, Eneme had been muribund since 2007.

He lauded the Federal Government for renewed works on the pipeline and the depot and called for early completion of the works and resumption of activities.

On his part, Chief Cletus Obiokafor, chairman of Petroleum Dealers Association of Nigeria (PEDAN) Anambra chapter said the current supply situation was not in the business interest of marketer.

Obiokafor said most marketers in the state were relying on those that bought from tank farms as they did not get direct access to NNPC allocation.

He said the issue of price hike could only be solved through sufficient supply.

He begged the DPR to stop auctioning their members' petrol and go to the depot where they are source to enforce price.

"DPR is just doing their normal job, they have show that they are working that is why they are sealing our stations forcing us to sell below cost price.

"We could not have closed our stations during the Christmas period, the suffering among our people, that is why we have been trying to service the people.

"We are not cheating our customers, rather we are suffering losses and reduced volume of sale, it is better we buy at N133. 28 and sell N145 instead of buying N205 and sell N210 with all all this harassment," he said.