In a statement by DAPPMA signed by its Executive Secretary, Mr. Femi Adewole, the marketers agreed that landing cost has risen to about N170 per litre which is above the recommended retail price of N145 per litre.
According to the statement, “Landing cost of PMS in Nigeria, is above N145 per litre which means any of our members that imports would have to resort to subsidy claims, a policy already jettisoned by the Federal Government.
“It is on record that any time NNPC assumes the role of sole importer, there are issues of distribution, because it is marketers who own 80 per cent of the functional receptive facilities and retail outlets in Nigeria.
“While we cannot confirm or dispute NNPC’s claim of having sufficient product stock, we can confirm that the products are not in our tanks and as such cannot be distributed. If the products are offshore, then surely, it cannot be considered to be available to Nigerians.”
Furthermore, it argued that NNPC has been the sole importer of petrol since October 2017 and that NNPC imports and distributes through Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA); Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN).
“Our members pay PPMC/NNPC in advance for petroleum products and fully paid up PMS orders that have neither been programmed nor loaded in excess of 500,000MT (about 800,000,000 litres) as at today and enough to meet the nation’s needs for 19 days at a daily estimated consumption of 35,000,000 litres.
“Our members’ depots are presently empty. However, if PPMC/NNPC can provide us with PMS, we are ready to do 24 hours loading and truck out to alleviate the sufferings of Nigerians until these fuel queues are totally eliminated,” it stated.
It said fuel marketers remain committed to the progress of the nation and its citizenry as therein “lies our own profitability and fulfillment.”
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