From Muyiwa Lucas, Assistant Editor, Lagos; Kolade Adeyemi, Jos; John Ofikhenua, Abuja; Fanen Ihyongo, Kano; Augustine Okezie, Katsina; Bisi Oladele, Yinka Adeniran, Ibadan
and Mike Odiegwu, Port Harcourt
There is no breathing space for Nigerians as the scarcities of petrol and new naira bit harder across the country at the weekend.
Things may yet get worse. The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) yesterday said it would shut down its filling stations from midnight.
Last week, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN), IPMAN, Nigerian Midstream Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and security agencies agreed that petrol be sold at N195/litre depending on the location. Enforcement of this agreement begins today.
But, IPMAN, at the weekend, urged its members not to purchase petrol which they would not be able to dispense at the N195/litre price.
The approved ex-depot price of petrol was raised from N148/litre by the NNPCL to N172/litre, but depots hardly dispense the commodity to independent marketers at this rate.
The directive, issued and signed by IPMAN’s Public Relations Officer, Ibadan depot, Mojeed Adesope, reads in part: “Distinguished marketers: enforcement exercise will commence effective from Monday, 6th February 2023.
“Members are hereby implored not to purchase product(s) that they would not be able to dispense at N195/litre.
“The above information should be given wider spread/circulation in order not to get any member caught unaware. You are strongly advised to heed this information.”
IPMAN National Operations Controller, Mike Osatuyi, told The Nation that as long as the NNPCL has not fulfilled the December 8, 2022 agreement, it would be impossible for IPMAN members to sell petrol at government regulated price because they do not buy the product at the regulated price at the depots.
He said: “Our December 8, 2022 agreement with NNPCL and other stakeholders was that IPMAN should be given petrol at the official ex-depot price.
“So, if they are insisting on N195 per litre, then no problem. It’s better we don’t buy the product because we cannot sell at a loss; nobody is in business to make a loss.”
He regretted that with NNPCL’s depot now moribund, IPMAN depends on DAPPMAN depots for supply.
In many petrol stations that had the product in Lagos, attendants demanded payment only in cash, with the excuse that their Point of Sale (PoS) machines were out of service.
Some sold currency or referred desperate customers to PoS agents who charged crazy amounts to sell the naira.
At the Conoil filling station at National Bustop in Ikeja, attendants said they only accept cash payments.
Frustration was etched on the faces of many cash-less customers who had been in the queue for hours only to be told the PoS was not available.
A resident was forced to withdraw N10,00 from a nearby PoS agent for N2,000.
Our reporter arrived at a local NNPCL outlet as early as 5 am but did not get the product to buy until 11.15 am.
The queues have kept lengthening by the day across Lagos.
