The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Enugu wants urgent rehabilitation of the NNPC depot in the state to improve supply of petroleum products to the area.The Chairman of the association, Chief Ikechukwu Nwankwo said on Tuesday in Enugu that the measure would ensure product stability in the states covered by the depot.
Nwankwo said that the move would also ensure that marketers adhered strictly to sale of products at government approved rates.
He said that the depot was meant to supply products to three states of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu but regretted that its current state had affected the distribution channel and pricing.
The chairman attributed the sale of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) above the official pump price in the area to challenges faced by members in sourcing products from other depots.
He said that since the depot went comatose due to pipeline vandalism over two decades ago, the volume of products expected to be delivered in the area was no longer received.
“The depot is meant to deliver no fewer than 100 trucks of PMS and 80 trucks of gas and kerosene respectively on daily basis.
“By this arrangement each of the three states will get at least 32 trucks of PMS.
“But when we go to source for products from other depots, they will give marketers from Enugu depot only three tickets at exorbitant rates,” he said.
Nwankwo said that the prevailing situation had affected the pricing of the products with its attendant hardship on residents of the area.
“There is no way marketers will buy products at exorbitant rates and you expect us to sell at N145 per litre,” he said.
He called on South East governors particularly, the Enugu State Government to intervene and impress it on the Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) to adhere strictly to allocation of products.
“We are supposed to be getting our products from the depot in Enugu, but since this has not been the case, the PPMC should ensure that we are not shortchanged.
“These other depots will give you at a price even above government approved rates and you either buy or forget about it,” he said.
He appealed to the Federal Government to remove all obstacles that had impeded the refining and importation of petroleum products.
“It is better for the government to go into full deregulation in order to open up the market and throw up competition among marketers,” Nwankwo said.
