As fuel queues resurfaced in petrol stations in major cities in the South West Region of the country, the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Mosimi Depot yesterday blamed the fuel scarcity currently being experienced across the region on the alleged refusal of management of Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to make petroleum products available to its members three months after which such has been paid for.

Consequently, IPMAN passionately appealed to the federal government, as well as other critical stakeholders in the industry, to urgently prevail on NNPCL management to ensure that the corporation desists from withholding petroleum products from its members so as to lessen the hardship being experienced by the citizens.

Speaking with journalists yesterday in Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital, IPMA Mosimi Depot chairman Otunba Femi Adelaja said his members have since June this year made a deposit payment of a whopping sum of N75 .142 billion to the corporation for supplies through the Lagos Private Depot Owners (PDO), but NNPCL has refused to make such a payment available to its members.

Adelaja, who lamented the non-receipt of products from NNPCL three months after payment, said the management of the corporation has been using the IPMAN's deposit to service the interest of majority marketers at the detriment of the interest of IPMAN members whose businesses have been surviving on bank loans.

Accusing NNPCL of deliberately hoarding petroleum products away from its members, Adelaja said it is disheartening that the corporation could be using his members' deposit to make supplies available to the trio of Total, OANDO and Ardova Petroleum companies who, in turn, resell to few if its customers thereby, compelling them to sell at a higher pump price to the public.

"As I speak with you, we are surprised to see that NNPC would not give us any supply, either. The corporation has been busy using our deposits to run business for their various mega stations. They have refused to acknowledge that our businesses have been surviving on bank loans, which would charge interest on whatever amount is released to each IPMAN member."

IPMAN Mosimi Depot, however, solicits the support of all well-meaning Nigerians to prevail on NNPCL's management before the corporation finally succeeds in chasing its members out of business.