N100/litre PMS: DPR to stop subsidy claim of errant marketers

.IPMAN attributes long queues to supply shortage

.. Indicts Depot owners  of selling above N87

By Oluwagbenga Bankole

The Department of Petroleum Resources ( DPR) has vowed to deny errant marketers selling Premium Motor Spirit (PMS)  above N87 per litre of access to Petroleum Support Fund (PSF) scheme for reimbursement of subsidy claims. The prevailing N100 per litre  by filling stations according to Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) was  however attributed on shortage of supply by the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and sales above N87 per litre ex depot price.

At a meeting organized by Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) with officials of Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA), Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and IPMAN, officials of IPMAN who were the only marketers present at the meeting also accused DAPPMA of selling above the N87 regulated price at their depots, particularly in the Western Zone.

 The representative of the Director of DPR who is also the Head, Downstream Monitoring and Regulation Mr. Maigida Mudei said that the  truth of the matter is that all the PMS sold in the country either from NNPC or DAPPMA is part of the Petroleum Support Fund(PSF).

Mudei categorically stated that henceforth if for any reason it is known to them that any petrol station is selling above the pump price, the depot that sold the product will be forced to withdraw from the PSF

He said: " I can never accept these complains as a reason for selling PMS above regulated price. For those who don't know, whatever source you get PMS in the country, it is link to the subsidy. You have never written to DPR about  this your complain. IPMAN in some other region have complained and action was taken by DPR. We know the product is not available, but the few you have is not the license to sell above the regulated price. Even if you don't get your products on regular basis, selling the one you have above the regulated price would not make you to get it regularly. Selling the product above pump price has not being helping the country".

Mudei warned that marketers  who still engage in the practice of selling PMS and DPK above government stipulated prices as well as hoarding of these products  should desist in the interest of the public and Nigerian  economy.

He stressed that DPR is capable of activating all the conditions that may lead to the denial of any marketer from further participation in the PSF scheme and the withdrawal of licenses of a facility.

" We are more than ready to enforce our regulation. Henceforth DPR would not allow a situation whereby supply of PMS is dictated by the private interest of marketers and dealers to the detriment of the Nigerian public, neither will the department condone any act of selling PMS above official pump price in government licensed facilities under any guise whatsoever,†he concluded.

The Vice Chairman, IPMAN, Western region Mr. Kunle Bamgboye said that having being attached to lifting product from Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC) depot since they were granted license by DPR, the supply from NNPC depot has never been enough.

Bamgboye while describing the claims by NNPC that they have 25days sufficiency as sham, disclosed that out of the five depots in the western zone, about four are not loading for the past one week.

" I can confirm that Lagos Atlas Depot of NNPC is not loading, Ibadan is not loading, Ilorin is not loading and Ore is a desert because nothing gets there any longer and we have thousands marketers in that place. It is only Mosimi that is loading and in Mosimi alone we have over 600 marketers and over 3000 outlets," Bamgboye stated.

He further stated that hope of getting fuel supply by  IPMAN  members depend on the availability of products by NNPC and DAPPMA. He added that since NNPC could not supply them with all their demands they have no choice than to go to DAPPMA depots where he disclosed that they buy petrol above N87.

Also speaking on behelf of IPMAN at the meeting, the Immediate past South West Zonal chairman, IPMAN Mr. Olumide Ogunmade restated that what they are paying to get PMS from DAPPMA is above N87 per litre. "As at today there is no product at NNPC depots, we buy directly from DAPPMA. I want DPR to go and do investigation to see how much DAPPMA is selling PMS for us. When we are buying above the current N87 regulated price, as a business man we will not want to run at a lost we would want to make profit. If we have abundant product at a reasonable price nobody will sell above the N87 regulated price,†he said.

Ogunmade also stated that if NNPC is adequately and constantly supplying them there is no way they will sell above the N87 regulated price for PMS.

Effort to have reaction from the Group General Manager,  Public Affairs Division of NNPC Mr. Ohi Alegbe and DAPPMA Executive Secretary, Mr. Olufemi Ajewole was abortive as both of them did not respond to the text messages and calls of our correspondent as at the time of filling this report.