The Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited(NNPCL) has stated that, it was unable to supply Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria(IPMAN) members petroleum products due to unavailability of the products.
Speaking on the allegation made by IPMAN that it’s members are being extorted by NNPCL because the petroleum products they paid for over nine months ago before the fuel subsidy was removed has not been supplied and NNPCL expected it’s members to pay additional N13,702,000 on each ticket( comprises 35,000 to 45,000 litres of oil) before the fuel can be lifted.
Speaking on the development, the Coordinator Private Depots Operation, Lagos for NNPCL, Alhaji Jallo Mohammed said IPMAN members have not received supply of petroleum products,because the products are not available and it was part of the agreement they reached with NNPCL.
“The thing is that oil business,most especially in this kind of our environment,you know that they signed an agreement with NNPCL, there is what is called bulk purchase agreement.
“The bulk purchase agreement have every details and condition and provision, which is that wether you make payment for any product, it is not guaranteed that you get that product on the spot,it is subject to the product availability,so when you are doing business with somebody with the agreement you signed on this.If something like this happens, how will you blame such an organisation,but for details enquiry,you can send your enquiry to our corporate affairs commission. Alhaji Mohammed said.
IPMAN at a press briefing held in Lagos appealled to President Bola Tinubu to save its members from extortion from the NNPCL,and denial of supply oil products paid for, a development it said is capable of frustrating it’s members out of business.
Addressing the press in Lagos the secretary of IPMAN, Mr Folalu Ebenezer,who briefed the press in company other members of the executive of the association explained that the association support removal of fuel subsidy but NNPCL have denied the IPMAN members loading of fuel they paid for before the removal of fuel subsidy,and that those fuel paid for has been incorporated into subsidy paid by the federal government,before the subsidy removal.
Ebenezer said the Independent markers have over 4,500 tickets of oil which has been paid for and has not been lifted.
He explained that some of the tickets were paid for over nine months ago and each ticket takes care of 35,000 to 45,000 liters of fuel.
IPMAN noted that NNPCL now require each of its member to pay additional N13,702,000 on each ticket before the fuel can be lifted, it wondered where NNPCL expect them to get such homongous amount of money.