By Abigail Philip David
Abubakar Garima, the National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has revealed that the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) owes petroleum marketers close to N15 billion.
Speaking on Channels TV’s *Sunrise Daily* on Thursday, Garima stated that despite recent price hikes by the NNPCL, IPMAN members have not been able to load a single truck of petroleum products.
When asked about the amount owed, Garima said, “It’s roughly close to N15 billion. Our money is already with the NNPCL. They’ve refused to provide the products we paid for and are now asking us to pay the difference due to the price increase.”
He added, “Our money has been with NNPCL for nearly three months now. Either they sell to us at the same rate they are getting from Dangote Refinery, or they refund us so we can buy directly from Dangote.”
This comes after reports that despite the NNPCL commencing loading of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), commonly known as petrol, at the Dangote Petroleum Refinery, most filling stations across the country have yet to receive the product.
Earlier, IPMAN had also urged the Federal Government to allow its members to directly source petroleum products in order to alleviate the ongoing pressures in the sector.
