• Rep urges govt to keep promise
• IPMAN pledges seamless operation
The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) yesterday said it will shut down its depots nationwide on Friday if the Federal Government fails to pay its members their outstanding oil subsidy debt.
Its Executive Secretary, Mr Olufemi Adewole, said the group extended the window to give the government enough chance to resolve the issue amicably.
He said the decision to give the government another five days was taken after the meeting of the association in Lagos.
He said: ‘’The outcome of the meeting was that we have agreed to extend the plan to shut down depots to this week Friday, in the event that the government refused to pay us the balance of the debts its owing us.”
Meanwhile, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Hon Joseph Akinlaja, has urged the Federal Government not renege on its promise to pay the oil subsidy debt to oil marketers.
Also yesterday, the Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), dissociated itself from the face-off and assured that its members would not stop fuel distribution across the country.
Its Southwest Chairman, Alhaji Debo Ahmed, said IPMAN supplyies 70 per cent of fuel in the country, stressing that the oil marketers will not be party to anything that would disrupt the movement of people at this period of the year.
Ahmed said: “The government is planning to pay N236 billion as the first tranche of the subsidy arrears to marketers this week Friday. This shows that the government is committed to the course of the marketers. It also means that the government would pay the remaining debts soon. Based on this, IPMAN would not be a party to any issue that is threatening the existence of the citizenry and the nation in particular.”
Akinlaja however appealed to DAPPMAN to accept government offer of installmental payment while pursuing the payment of the rest.
Speaking with reporters in Abuja yesterday, Akinlaja said the nation is not in danger of fuel scarcity especially during the Yuletide period as the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) has a reserve that would last for 52 days.
The danger however, according to him, is the distribution of the product which, if broken would affect Nigerians directly.
He said: “From our oversight visit to NNPC, being the sole importer of petrol, the Group Managing Director (GMD) assured us that 52 days’ supply is available to be complimented with other fuel cargoes on water.
‘We did not stop there, we need to ensure that the entire chain is not in danger of being disrupted because we are not comfortable with the experience we had around this same time last year. We don’t want a repeat of that.
“We checked and labour confirmed available supply by NNPC but distribution is another thing and we were worried as government is owing marketers despite discussions being on for three years now.
“The concern of our Committee is that the Federal government and all the stakeholders should not allow the distribution chain to snap but our worry is that it’s a tradition for our government not to keep to agreements.
“That is why we are pleading that the government should not renege this time, if the agreement is not honored by Friday, there is a likelihood of a problem.”
According to the lawmakers, oil markers should not be blamed for their demands as it is it should be expected they protest their plight considering the difficulties they have been going through from banks they owed.
He however appealed to give the government the benefit of the doubt by accepting the scheduled payment of the claims, saying, “We are appealing to the marketers to give the government a chance and accept the offer.
“All the stakeholders, especially DAPPMAN, should allow the agreement to go through while they pursue the payment of the rest as agreed. A bird in hand, as they say is worth two in the bush,” he added.
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