FG Meets IPMAN, MOMAN Over Fuel Price Hike, Others

The Federal Government on Wednesday met with oil marketers on issues bordering on the cost of petrol, fuel queues, and bridging claims payment, among others in the downstream oil sector.

The General Manager, Corporate Communications Department, Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority (NMDRA), Kimchi Apollo, in a chat with The Punch, said that the government was currently engaging the oil dealers.

Apollo asserted that the government had to meet the various oil marketer groups over their demands.

He noted that the meeting might lead to an upward adjustment in the pump price of petrol, reportedly due to the unsustainable cost of Petrol.

“We met them on Wednesday on the various concerns, so don’t worry. By Thursday, you will know what is the outcome.

“The NMDPRA is engaging them in a meeting that is ongoing, so I’ll let you know the outcome. Hopefully, by tomorrow you will know the outcome of the meeting,” he said.

Asked if the meeting was being held with just MOMAN or all oil marketers, the NMDPRA spokesperson replied, “We cannot engage only MOMAN, we are engaging all of them. We are engaging them, so don’t worry. You will know the outcome later.”

This came as the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) on Wednesday joined their counterparts in the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and the Natural Oil and Gas Suppliers Association (NOGASA) to call on the government to raise the price of PMS gradually.

IPMAN and NOGASA had earlier pushed for the upward review of petrol price, as some members of IPMAN had already effected this by selling above the N165/litre government approved price.

Some currently dispense petrol at N180/litre and above in many states, including Abuja, Lagos, Ogun, Imo, Niger, among others.