The Public Relations Officer, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, said the group plans to begin importing their own petrol and therefore asked the Federal Government to completely open up the sector to all players.
“There has been no progress in the situation. We have been waiting for NNPC and nothing has changed. We have information that at least three marketers are bringing in products from outside of the country. This is Dangote’s chance to work with independent marketers.
“We are asking Dangote to sell to us at the same price as NNPC. We don’t understand why he has to depend solely on NNPC to distribute its product when he has other willing buyers.
“We are also looking at importing to keep our business. We are also asking the Federal Government also to hand over the Port Harcourt Refinery to independent marketers. We will engage capable people to manage it. That is the only panacea to this problem”, he added.
On his part, the National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Alhaji Abubakar Garima, confirmed that only NNPCL has access to Dangote fuel and they discharge the bulk of the products to their retail outlets.
He added that they are not yet buying from the NNPCL under the Dangote Refinery arrangement.
He stated: “Independent marketers are waiting for NNPCL to give the new price of the petroleum products in order to lift from them. We load at the old rate of ₦875 per litre as most of our members have outstanding stock with NNPCL; we were told that they will be cleared this week.
