By Lukman Olabiyi
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has sought for the intervention of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to stop the exploitation and fraud being allegedly perpetrated by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in the distribution of products.
IPMAN called for President Tinubu’s intervention at a peaceful protest staged by its members in Apapa, Lagos on Thursday.
The Secretary of IPMAN/NNPC PDO Forum, Folalu Ebenezer who addressed the press while protesting, declared the group total support for fuel subsidy removal, but called on the president to beam it search light on various atrocities being committed by the personnel of NNPCL.
Narrating his members’ ordeal, he said members of IPMAN are always required to pay ahead of product supplies by the NNPCL via Authority To Pay (ATP) generated from the organisation’s portal for product loading at designated Private Deport (PDO).
However, Ebenezer said many months after the payment its members made through NNPCL’s portal for which tickets were generated to load products, they are yet to get access to the product .
“Some of our members have tickets up to nine months before the fuel subsidy removal by the Federal Government but have not been able to load products paid for even till now. Before the latest decision, there had been increment in January 2023 in which our members were obligated to pay additional One million and seventy two thousand naira per ticket.
“Even after the payment of this unexpected increment, our members are yet to lift the products as promised. Presently our members have over 4,500 tickets, including 500 Dynamic tickets, yet to drop on NNPCL’s portal
“However, after this latest announcement of the removal of fuel subsidy by the Federal Government, NNPCL is now asking IPMAN members who already have tickets for the products, to pay additional N13,702,000 on each ticket to the NNPCL”, he said.
IPMAN accused NNPCL’s of diverting the product its members paid for to their private companies and to tank farm owners where the products were stored.
The group alleged that NNPCL is using both MOMAN and DAPMAN to perpetrated fraud , and illegalities.