The Federal Government yesterday broke through the ranks of fuel marketers causing a big gulf among the later over seven-day ultimatum given to it to pay N800 billion subsidy claim. The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), one of the major bodies of marketers, has, as a result, opted out of the ultimatum and urged Nigerians not to panic because the nation’s NNPC Depots are filled with reserved products. IPMAN also told the government to adopt heavy punitive measures against any marketer who would join the strike because, according to them, “the action is so untimely and suspicious.”
Depot And Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), Independent Petroleum Products Importers (IPPs) and a section of Major Oil marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) had on Sunday declared that they would halt activities at depots nationwide should the government fail to meet up with payment of the subsidy in cash within seven days.
Speaking to reporters in Kano, Zonal Chairman of IPMAN, Basheer Ahmad Danmallam, however said “there is no basis for the marketers who still received supply from NNPC and whose debt profile with government was inherited by the present government to adopt strike measure as the only solution to their problems.” The N800 billion debts they have with government, he said, was the money not paid since the Obasanjo regime, insisting that such should not be used now as a yardstick to plunge Nigerians into serious untold hardship using the strike action.
Confirming the sevenday notice, Executive Secretary of DAPPMA, Mr. Olufemi Adewole, disclosed that the oil marketers on November 28 served the ultimatum letter on the Debt Management Office (DMO), Minister of Finance, Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream, Department of State Services and Minister of State, Petroleum Resources. Read more