IPMAN task Southeast Govs over neglect of NNPC Enugu Depots

Sunday Ani
Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Enugu Depot Community, has called on the southeast governors urgently do something about the abandonment of the depot by the Federal Government.
The call was made after the first general meeting of the association with other affiliate unions, held at the IPMAN secretariat, Enugu.
The IPMAN chairman, Chinedu Anyaso, told journalists that the gathering was the first IPMAN general meeting since he assumed office late 2019, adding that the decision to call on leaders of the South East to look into the continued desertion of the Enugu NNPC depot was unanimous.
He explained that IPMAN leadership would seek audience with the South East Governors Forum (SEGF), the National Assembly South East caucus and Speakers of State Houses of Assembly in the zone among others to make the request official.
He noted that the condition of the Enugu depot has become unbearable to members, even as he added that the ripples effect of the development was weighty on the economy of the South East due to the quantum of loss of lives, investments and other misfortunes that their members have continued to incur on a daily basis.
We need the help of our governors and other leaders of the South East. We want them to help us beseech Mr. President to resuscitate and reopen the NNPC, Enugu Depot. We are confident that our governors will answer us and we believe that Mr. President would listen to them, he stated.
On his part, former IPMAN Chairman, Dr. Harford Agana, described the situation as dire and crippling.
According to Agana, who is also the traditional ruler of Amandimeze-Ugama autonomous community in Ezeagu Local government Area of Enugu State, We are pained about the state of the NNPC, Enugu Depot, which has caused us colossal loss of lives, property and cash among others.
He reiterated that they had resolved to cry unto the Southeast leaders, especially the governors and legislators, to intervene and plead with the Federal Government to revive the depot.
He pointed out that the Federal Government had shut the depot for over 15 years; a situation he said, had caused untold hardship, not only to oil dealers but also to the entire South East and its environs.
We have been lifting products from far away Lagos, Port Harcourt, Calabar and others. Due to the terrible state of most of our federal highways, many of which are now death-traps, coupled with rising security problems, many of our members have been forced out of business. Those of us still clinging on are struggling to cope, he said.
He further described the situation as a matter of life and death, saying, It is terrible. We lift the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), at N133.28k official uniform price per liter, while we are compelled to sell at Federal Governments official regulated pump price of N145.00 per liter.
We spend at least, N360, 000 to lift a truck of PMS from Lagos to Enugu and N250, 000 to lift a truck from Calabar to Enugu, whereas, it takes just N30, 000 to lift a truck of the product from Enugu Depot to my station at 9th Mile Corner. So, we are really sweating, he said.
He thanked Governor Ugwuanyi for wading into the recent leadership crisis that had rocked IPMAN and for restoring peace in the union.
Also speaking, the immediate-past Enugu IPMAN chairman, Ikechukwu Nwankwo, also regretted the state of the Enugu NNNPC depot, which covers about seven states.
He pleaded to the federal and state governments to look into the matter and reopen the facility to ease their business.
According to him, the federal government would also benefit from the depot if it comes on stream because it would earn both direct and indirect extra revenue from it.
For the Special Assistant to Governor Willie Obiano of Anambra State on Oil and Gas, Honourable Chris Okonkwo, the petroleum marketers are suffering untold hardship and they need help.
He said they find it difficult to cope with the business after traveling far distances to lift products, with the attendant risks, losses and other ugly experiences that they usually encounter in the process.
He described the proposed meeting with South East leaders as a good move and expressed optimism that it would yield positive result.