Fuel scarcity: Edo IPMAN chairman absolves marketers of blame

The Benin Depot, Edo State chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Baba Abdul Saliu Egele has absolved independent marketers of blame in the current lingering nationwide scarcity of petroleum products.

Alhaji Egele who spoke in Benin yesterday said that the high cost of fuel is due to the fact that independent marketers buy at exorbitant prices from private tank owners.

The lingering fuel scarcity in Edo State took a turn for the worse yesterday as a litre of the scarce commodity presently goes for between N200 and N250 as against the government approved price of N165 a litre.

Alhaji Egele lamented that instead of the regulated official price of N148.17k per litre from private tank owners, the price goes presently goes for between N170 and N180, adding that the only way independent marketers can break even is to sell above the government approved of N165 per litre.

Again, the Benin Depot chairman blamed tank owners for forcing independent marketers to buy a tanker load of diesel for every petrol tanker load, lamenting that even when they buy the diesel load, they are not still guaranteed a tanker load of petrol.

Against the backdrop of the harsh economic reality in the country, Alhaji Egele said that most independent marketers can hardly get by, noting that they are forced to spend so much money on diesel which they don’t really need.

He said: “The scarcity and subsequent high price of fuel is not the fault of independent marketers. We buy at a very high price from private tank owners. There is no way we can sell at the approved price of N165:per litre. It is only the major marketers with their own tank farms that can afford to sell at the approved price.”

As a way out, he charged the federal government to repair the nation’s moribund refineries.

He added that the rehabilitation of the nation’s refineries will put an end to the incessant hike in the prices of petroleum products in the country.

Alhaji Egele reiterated the determination of IPMAN to engage and collaborate with the government and other relevant agencies in the oil and gas sector to fix the depots and refineries.

He said: “If the refineries are fixed, crude oil would be refined in the country and that will help to reduce the incessant increment of pump prices in the country.”

YOU SHOULD NOT MISS THESE HEADLINES FROM NIGERIAN TRIBUNE

We Have Not Had Water Supply In Months ― Abeokuta Residents

In spite of the huge investment in the water sector by the government and international organisations, water scarcity has grown to become a perennial nightmare for residents of Abeokuta, the Ogun State capital. This report x-rays the lives and experiences of residents in getting clean, potable and affordable water amidst the surge of COVID-19 cases in the state…

Selfies, video calls and Chinese documentaries: The things you’ll meet onboard Lagos-Ibadan train

The Lagos-Ibadan railway was inaugurated recently for a full paid operation by the Nigerian Railway Corporation after about a year of free test-run. Our reporter joined the train to and fro Lagos from Ibadan and tells his experience in this report.…