Why petrol is scarce – IPMAN
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria said the current scarcity of fuel in some parts of the country was due to the change in depot price of the commodity.
The National Secretary of IPMAN, Alhaji Umar Gulumbe, offered the reasons while addressing newsmen in Birnin Kebbi on Tuesday in reaction to the current scarcity experienced in Kebbi and other states of the country.
Gulumbe said traffic congestion and the delay in loading the product on waiting petrol tankers were also responsible for the scarcity of the commodity.
He explained that the actual price his members got the Premium Motor Spirit as a retailer from the depots in Lagos State was N77.66k.
He expressed dismay that a new price of N88 has been introduced.
Gulumbe said: “Initially, it was N77.
“But we just woke up to hear new price of N88 per litre.
“So you see it is not possible for our members to sell it at N87 at filling stations, considering other expenses of loading, duration it takes on the way for clearance.
“We cannot be selling at a loss.
“Apart from that, let me reveal to you that we pay extra money in a separate account before we can get the commodity or else our tanks will be at stand still for months.”
Similarly, the Zonal Chairman of IPMAN in charge of the North West, Alhaji Dan Jega, attributed the scarcity to the shortage of the commodity in almost all the deports in the country.
Jega said: “The fuel is not just there.
“Out of over 100 depots in the country, only Emirates, Oando and Nipcon have fuel.”
NAN checks in Birnin Kebbi showed that only NNPC Mega station sold, while the other filling stations were shut down.
Malam Mohammed Yeldu, a civil servant, lamented the artificial scarcity, saying if it continued, it would affect the price of other essential goods.
Yeldu called on the Federal Government to intervene.
(NAN)