Protest Hits Apapa As Oil Marketers Seek Tinubu’s Intervention Over Alleged Exploitation By NNPCL

Oil marketers under the aegis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) have cried out to President Bola Tinubu to intervene in what they described as alleged exploitation by the Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) in the distribution of products.

The marketers as gathered by Naija News staged a peaceful protest at Apapa, a suburb in Lagos State on Thursday, to express their displeasure.

According to the Secretary of IPMAN/NNPC PDO Forum, Folalu Ebenezer, the association totally supports the removal of fuel subsidy, however, the President needs to look into the activities of the NNPCL personnel regarding the distribution of fuel.

IPMAN accused NNPCL of diverting the product its members paid for to their private companies and to tank farm owners where the products were stored.

The association alleged that NNPCL is using both the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and DAPMAN to perpetrate fraud and illegalities.

In his remark during the protest, Ebenezer explained that 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, several months after payment, of which tickets were generated to load products, they are yet to get access to the product .

He said “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.”