IPMAN Threaten To Shut Outlets Over Security Agencies' Harassment



The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) says it will no longer accept the harassment of its members by security agencies.

Mr Chinedu Anyaso, Chairman of IPMAN, Enugu Depot told Journalists in Awka that marketers in Anambra were complaining that personnel of the Nigerian Security and Civil Defense Corps (NSCDC) were visiting their stations to enforce price.

He said marketers would continue to operate within the standards approved by the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) who were the only lawfully approved regulator in the petroleum industry.

"The leadership of IPMAN has received disturbing complaints from our members in Anambra that NSCDC officials come to their stations to harass them in the name of enforcement.

"We may be forced to shutdown if it continues, we are only answerable to NMDPRA on issues of compliance and enforcement," he said.

Anyaso commended IPMAN members in the zone for ensuring availability of product in spite the challenges on supply.

He regretted that petrol was selling at N200 and blamed it on the hike at the depots.

According to him, we don't buy products from NNPC, we buy from Warri and Calabar depots, the cost there is N180 per litre and by the time you pay for loading and transportation, landing cost is about N190, this is why it is not possible to sell at N165 per liter.

"We want to call on the Federal Government through the NNPC to address the issues of supply and price to control the market because the private depots are the ones determining everything," he said.

In a reaction, DSC Edwin Okadigbo, Public Relations Officer of NSCDC in Anambra said the Corps only embarked on monitoring to ensure there was no hoarding of products and that marketers sold at the approved price.

Okadigbo "It is not true we harassed anybody, we only monitored to ensure that there was no economic sabotage, we made sure that those who have products were selling and at the approved price.

"Nobody was arrested, nobody was intimidated or harassed," he said.