The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association, IPMAN, has exonerated Marketers and Owners of Petrol Retail Outlets over the current increase of fuel pump price to 170 naira per litre.
In an interview with our correspondent, State Chairman IPMAN, Dr Obele Ngechu, explained that sourcing for Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, at the moment is a big challenge for Petroleum Marketers, as only a few of them are able to get fuel and at an outrageous price.
He noted that the demand for PMS by Marketers at the moment is high, as it cannot meet up demands of the general public.
“For us to source for this product now is a very serious issue. Yesterday at the IPMAN secretariat, under my leadership, less than fifteen of us were able to get PMS out of more than eight hundred Marketers that were sourcing for fuel.
“Same thing today, Marketers who were able to purchase product were not up to twenty, making the demand very high. Importers are no longer importing, for one to import PMS now, it cost about one hundred and ninety (190) naira per litre to sell at about two hundred and six (206) naira per litre, but labour said no to any fuel pump price increment.
“All these problem is caused by the negligence of the leaders of our nation to put in place the four refineries to effective use”
He disclosed that the meeting with the federal government and labour schedule to hold tomorrow 25th, February, will determine the fate of the present situation in the Oil and gas.
“Tomorrow being Thursday, there is a meeting between labour and federal government where they will be resolving most of the issues. Labour has given its stand, that they will never agree to anything that has to do with the change of pump price by the federal government”
Meanwhile, Some Commercial vehicle operators in the state have decried that the outrageous increase in petrol pump price is affecting their transport business as commuters are not willing to pay extra charges on transport fare.
According to them, the increase in fuel pump price is also affecting their daily earnings, as they do not have enough money to take home after spending much on the purchase of fuel.
They expressed worries that despite buying fuel at 170 naira, some filling stations are in the habit of programming their meter to dispense lower than what was purchased.
They however called on the government to urgently look into the fuel scarcity and hike in price to alleviate the suffering of the masses.
