Breaking: Fuel Scarcity Looms As IPMAN Pickets NNPC Depots

Fuel scarcity appears to be looming in the South-West as members of the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria picketed the NNPC Depot in Ibadan on Wednesday.

Our correspondent gathered that other NNPC depot in Ejigbo, Mosinmi and private depots in Apapa have also been picketed by members of the association.

The IPMAN Chairman, Ore Depot, Shina Amoo, confirmed the development to journalists in Ibadan on Wednesday.

He said the members of the association blocked the depots with tankers to protest the new payment method introduced by the Petroleum Products Marketing Company.

He said the new method of payment for petroleum products was introduced suddenly and the PPMC expected members to comply immediately without putting into consideration some of the documents they had to get.

He said, “The new payment arrangement encourages major marketers and very few independent marketers with huge funds to pay for 200 trucks and load them while those who had paid for one or two trucks would be on queue for many months unattended to.

“The PPMC must return to old way of payment which is also an online payment through remittal. IPMAN members held a meeting last night and decided to block loading depots in Ibadan, Ejigbo, Mosinmi and private depots in Apapa.

” IPMAN members blocked the depots this morning with their trucks to protest the new payment method.

“This will continue until the PPMC revert to the previous payment through remittal. The new payment requires various prerequisite documents like renewal of bulk purchase, renewal of licence and several other documents that are not readily available.

“Within few days of this new payment method, Some Northern big marketers have used the situation to short-change independent marketers in the South-West. With this, fuel scarcity is imminent.

“PPMC Customer Express mode of payment was introduced without consideration for billions of naira worth of tickets which IPMAN members already tied down in NNPC system.”