Petroleum marketers, on Sunday, asked the Federa Government to bear their losses, while accusing the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Limited of a deliberate delay in evacuating adulterated petroleum from fuel stations.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) told The Guardian that, due to the delay, there is a deliberate attempt for fueling stations dispensing petrol products to frustrate consumers by creating artificial scarcity through long queues, thereby pushing marketers to run at a loss.
Vice President of IPMAN, Abubakar Shettima added that the delay by consultants who are working to determine the volume of the dirty fuels still in tanks have also pushed most tankers to now divert to Nipco depot to load the right speculation of premium products, adding that the current scarcity would abate before mid-week.
NNPC Limited had admitted that four PMS cargoes imported by four consortia of its direct sale, direct purchase (DSDP) had imported adulterated fuel into the country, leading to petrol scarcity across the country.
The importers are MRS, who imported through vessel MT Bow Pioneer and loaded at Litasco Terminal, Antwerp -Belgium, Emadeb/Hyde/AY Maikifi/Brittania-U Consortium, which used vessel MT Tom Hilde and loaded from the same terminal, Oando loaded through MT Elka Apollon from the same terminal as well as NNPC’s subsidiary, Duke Oil used MT Nord Gainer and also loaded the vessel from the same terminal.
In many parts of Lagos, the product is being dispensed at ₦200 a liter and ₦400 in Abuja.
Shettima said that the marketers, who have dirty fuel in their tanks, are stuck because the products have not been removed for them to run their operations.
According to him, the government may need to consider bearing the burden of their losses.
