A nationwide petrol shortage is imminent in Nigeria as the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) issued a seven-day ultimatum on Monday to halt operations over unpaid bridging claims totaling N100 billion.
The Chairman of the IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum, Yahaya Alhasan, made this known during a press conference in Abuja, accusing the Nigerian government, through the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), of failing to settle the debt despite promising to do so 40 days earlier in the presence of National Security Adviser Nuhu Ribadu.
He revealed that several northern depots, including those in Jos, Gusau, Minna, Suleja, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Yola, and Maiduguri, have been rendered inoperative due to the prolonged debt crisis.
Alhasan also criticized the NMDPRA for imposing a 5% levy on petrol marketers, warning that if the outstanding payments were not made within seven days, IPMAN would withdraw its services nationwide.
He lamented the financial strain on marketers, noting that many businesses had shut down, employees had been laid off, and commercial banks had taken over several business premises due to the government’s failure to honor its commitments.
Furthermore, he condemned the NMDPRA for imposing excessive and unjustifiable levies on petrol marketers, including a 5% commission on petrol station sales, likening the regulatory body’s actions to that of a real estate agency. He described these charges as unconstitutional and anti-developmental, demanding their immediate suspension.
IPMAN vowed to collaborate with the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) and the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) to take decisive action if their demands remain unmet. This could include halting fuel transportation by withdrawing petroleum tankers from loading depots.
The association called on President Bola Tinubu to intervene urgently, warning that if the issue is not resolved, they will proceed with their planned strike starting Monday, February 24, 2025.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Gombe Depot, Ibrahim Mohammed, expressed frustration over the government’s failure to fulfill its commitment to settle the N100 billion debt, emphasizing that the promise made in January 2025 remains unfulfilled.