The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on Monday threatened to suspend the supply and distribution of products for three days over the alleged failure of the Federal Government to pay N70 billion bridging claims.
The General-Secretary of IPMAN, Borno State chapter, Alhaji Abbas Yakubu, disclosed this to newsmen during a press conference in Maiduguri.
According to him, for over three years now, the federal government has failed to pay the members of the IPMAN association their outstanding balance of 70 billion naira.
He said “IPMAN wish to clarify the air on our resolution to embark on a 3-day withdrawal of services at the depots, as a warning action.
“For years now, we have been following and lobbying the management of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory regarding our unsettled bridging claims but to no avail.
“We have decided to go for a three-day warning strike because the government failed to fulfil its promises.
“No payments had been made in the last three years.
“Failure to pay our bridging claims will lead to the suspension of services at the nine oil depots.
“Maiduguri, Damaturu, Yola, Gombe Kano, Gusau, Jos, Suleija, Kaduna, and other depots are part of the three-day warning strike.”
“The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority have paid only five per cent of its claim from 2019 to 2021,” he added.
Also speaking, the spokesman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers (IPMAN) forum Abdulkadir Musa, said the federal government has not paid any independent marketer from the nine depots in northern Nigeria, bridging the claim in 2022.
“We have decided to withdraw our services at the depots from today Monday to Wednesday,” said Musa.
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