"We call on our members to however remain resolute and law-abiding, even as we draw close to the immediate ultimatum for our demands to be met and addressed by the NMDPRA," the association said.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has threatened to shut down its outlets across the country over non-payment of bridging claims of over N200 billion owed to its members.
The marketers disclosed this in a communique jointly signed by the Chairman of IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum, Yahaya Alhassan, and Mazi Okolo, Unit Chairman, Aba Depot, on Tuesday.
The threat is coming amid widespread scarcity of petroleum products across the country, a development that has worsened the nation's cost of living crisis.
PREMIUM TIMES reported how fuel scarcity hit major cities across Nigeria in recent weeks, with attendant effect on businesses and households.
On Tuesday, the marketers' association said that it is extremely distressed and depressed by the laid-back attitude of the leadership of the Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) towards the survival of its members businesses.
It alleged that the issues arose from NMDPRA's deliberate delay and refusal to offset the debt of over N200 billion owed its members, which has consequently led to the deaths of many of it members and the unfortunate collapse of their businesses.
"We repeat, if our demands are not met within the shortest period of time, we have already put our members on standby across the nation. As law-abiding citizens, we are collectively prepared to withdraw our services, close every single outlet, and suspend lifting of products forthwith till our demands are fully met, and the consequences will be terrible as every marketer's outlet across Nigeria, from the North to the South, and from the East to the West, will be shut down.
"As the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, we have taken every step in the past to salvage this unfortunate and looming situation, which we know will not augur well for Nigerians, but we are presently left with no option than to go all out in the next few days to address this ugly trend in our way, which will portend great hardship and danger for Nigerians.
"We call on our members to however remain resolute and law-abiding, even as we draw close to the immediate ultimatum for our demands to be met and addressed by the NMDPRA," the communique reads.
The association noted that some of its members have completely shut down their businesses and laid off their employees as they are no longer able to pay salaries.
"We have also watched with apprehension, the unpatriotic attitude of the leadership of the NMDPRA to offset this debt that has been accrued to us since September 2022," the marketers said.
"As businessmen and women, our members acquired bank loans to keep their fuel retail outlets running on a daily basis across the nooks and crannies of Nigeria, in order to serve the teeming population of Nigerians."
The association said it is demoralizing to know that many of its members have gone bankrupt and have become financially insolvent as a result of their inability to meet their financial obligations to their banks, arising wholly from their inability to get their monies from the NMDPRA.
Consequently, the association said the banks have taken over the business premises of many of its members.
"As indigenous organizations, and Depot Chairmen, we are unhappy that rather than receive support from the government to boost our businesses, we are being discouraged, by the head of NMDPRA. It is noteworthy to recall and state here that at a stakeholders meeting held on 20 February 2024 with Heineken Lokpobiri, the Honourable Minister of Petroleum Resources (Oil), and the NSA, Nuhu Ribadu, the Chief Authority of NMDPRA, Farouk Ahmed, was mandated by Heineken Lokpobiri to clear the entire debt in 40 days," the statement said.
The association added that since the directive by the minister, only N13 billion has been paid to its members.
"Before now, we had taken the honourable path to continually seek an explanation from the NMDPRA, on why he has blatantly refused to offset the remaining debt, but we have ceaselessly met brick walls.
"Secondly, we are not happy with the indiscriminate increment in the issuance and renewal of the Sales and Storage Licence, by the NMDPRA, and the subsequent delays in acquiring the licence, which our members have been recently subjected to," it said.
Appeal
The IPMAN members, however, called on President Bola Tinubu, to closely look into the development, which it said is highly detrimental to its business and reverse it forthwith, as it is bound to impact negatively on the masses thereafter.
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"We see no reason why there should be an increment of over 500 per cent on the Sales and Storage Licence by the NMDPRA. This is outright wickedness, and therefore highly detrimental to our businesses. We reject it. We also hereby call on the federal government of Nigeria to wholly intervene forthwith in these lingering issues between the IPMAN and the NMDPRA.
"We are poised to take far-reaching decisions that may cripple the supply and sales of petroleum products across Nigeria if our demands are not met within the shortest period of time. More so, this money in question that the marketers are asking for is our monies set aside, collected from us, and deducted from our monies, to augment our transport fares.
"We are merely asking for the return of our monies that are in the purse of the NMDPRA. It is not a matter of the government's budget. NMDPRA has illegally taken our monies and this is the highest level of fraud. Sequel to this, we are appealing to President, Bola Tinubu, to please intervene in this quagmire that we have been subjected to by the NMDPRA," the association said.
