Petroleum marketers threaten to down tools

Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Cross River State Chapter, has threatened to down tools over the alleged non-supply of kerosene to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Depot in Calaba The association alleged that for over 25 years, kerosene has not been supplied to Calabar Depot, describing the situation as unacceptable.
Reacting to the development yesterday in Calabar on behalf of the management of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, the Caretaker Committee Chairman, Comrade Robert Obi, noted that bringing PMS alone is bad business for independent marketers in the state.
Obi observed that marketers in Cross River have gone through hell in a bid to source for kerosene to sell, insisting that it is high time they supply these three products including PMS, DPK and AGO to enable them have these products for their customers in Cross River and Akwa Ibom States.
“We are not asking for the millions of liters of kerosene for free. We will pay for it. We are going to set up our own IPMAN marine task force. We have mobilised our task force with speed boats made up of two horses power machines to monitor when these products arrive.
“And if all entreaties fail, we have no option than to embark on an indefinite strike to press home our demands and alert the federal government of what has been happening in NNPC Depot, Calabar,” the chairman said.
On the issue of equalization funds, Obi said it is high time their members started benefiting from this transportation arrangement meant to assist marketers.
The chairman regretted that when the federal government adjusted the pump price to N145, IPMAN was not invited to take part in the meeting where the N9 margin was arrived at because of the leadership crisis in the association then.
He said this development has impacted negatively on its members who spend about N250,000 just to transport their product to the northern part of Cross River when they do not benefit from the equalization funds, thereby jerking up the total cost of doing oil business.
In his reaction, the Operation Controller of DPR in the State, Philip Awolu, assured IPMAN of its corporation so long as the activities of the association does not go contrary to the laws governing the sale and marketing of petroleum products.