The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Rivers State branch, has said it will continue to sell fuel above government-approved pump prices unless the depots comply with the same directive. IPMAN made this vow on Thursday at the annual meeting of the Department of Petroleum Resources, depot owners and other stakeholders in the oil sector.
Premum motor spirit also known as petrol had been scarce in the country, leading to a hike in price from the official price of N87 to between N120 to N180 per litre. But IPMAN Chairman, Mr. Sunny Nkpe, warned that the union would not be able to enforce N87 per litre of petrol on its members. Nkpe blamed depots owners for the violation of the directive that fuel should be sold at official prices.
He argued that there was no way retailers would buy product at a high rate from the depots and dispense to the users below the cost price. Explaining that the marketers were ready to serve the public with integrity and respect if depot owners sell at the approved price, the IPMAN chairman in the state said, “We will not comply with the regulatory petrol price of N87 until the depots owners comply with the same directive.
“The depots sell to us at a high price and expect us to sell at the official rate. We buy above approved price from the depot owners. We will not accept that; we will resist any agent who will come to enforce such order until the depots owners do the right thing.” But Mr. Paul Fred, who spoke for the depot owners in the state, pointed out that depots in the state were currently facing many challenges. Fred explained that the depots were facing the problem of finance and allocation.