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Tag: IPMAN

  • IPMAN warns against petrol scarcity as depots sell N135/litre

    The Vice President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) , Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi, yesterday alleged that private depots have increased fuel pump price from N133.28 per liter to N135 per liter.

    He urged the Federal Government, especially the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) and the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to arrest the situation.

    He said: “All the private depots in the country are selling petrol to our marketers for N135 per liter whereas the PPPRA authorises them to sell it for N133.28 per liter. If the regulating agency does not intervene on time it may lead to fuel scarcity.”

    The Executive Secreatry, Depot and Petroleum Products Marketing Association (DAPPMA), Mr. Olufemi Adewole, denied the allegation.

    The DPR Head Public Affairs Unit, Mr. Saidu Mohammed, said he was driving when our reporter called him. He did not keep his promise to get back.

  • IPMAN fails to sell petrol at N140

    Members of Independent  Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has refused to comply with its leadership to sell petrol to customers at N140 per litre. The product currently sells for between N143 and N145 per litre.

    Its leadership had directed the oil marketers to sell the product at N40 per litre in the run up to the general elections.

    However, the Caretaker Chairman of IPMAN Western Zone, HRH Obafemi Ogbaro, has appealed to members to comply with the directive.

    He made the appeal after the chapter’s executives meeting in Lagos.

    Ogbaro said: “My attention has been drawn to a purported press statement credited to a marketer in Mosinmi depot who was a former vice chairman of IPMAN western zone denouncing the directive of our IPMAN National President, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, to our patriotic members to sell petrol to the general public at N140 per litre.”

    He said the association took the decision to ameliorate the suffering of the masses because of the rescheduled elections, adding that IPMAN members as a responsible association felt the pains Nigerians suffered for travelling to their various destinations to perform their civic duties of voting the candidates of their choice in the Presidential, National Assembly, Governorship and State Assembly elections which was rescheduled to  February 23, 2019 and  March 9, 2019 respectively.

    He said the group  shared in the pains of Nigerians hence  the sacrifice in this trying period to agree to a N5 per litre reduction. “This will eat into our members’ profit but we have to give back to the society as part of our Corporate Social Responsibility. The reduction in price commenced from Wednesday, February 20, 2019 to  March 11, 2019.

    The national president of IPMAN, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo on February 17 directed its members nationwide to reduce petrol pump price from N145 per litre to N140.

    He had said: “The reduction will last till March 12 to help reduce transport fares for Nigerians as they travel to vote for their candidates for the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and House of Assembly elections. After that date, we will review the price.”

  • Why we cut petrol price to N140 per litre, by IPMAN

    Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) National Chairman Chief Chinedu Okoronkwo has clarified that the association decided to reduce the pump price of petrol from N145 to N140 per litre as part of its contribution to ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians travelling to vote during elections.

    Okoronkwo told The Nation on phone that the N140 per litre directive would be carried out by IPMAN members nationwide.

    He said the reduction was a sacrifice that would be made by IPMAN members since no amount of sacrifice is much for national peace.

    Okoronkwo said: “Everybody must be involved in nation-building. This reduction of fuel price is our own contribution to nation-building, entrench peace and ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians. This is a sacrifice IPMAN members will make for the nation and Nigerians. No amount of sacrifice is too much for peace. The fuel price reduction will help reduce the expenses of Nigerians during this period of elections.

    “The reduction will last till March 12 to help reduce transport fares for Nigerians as they travel to vote for their candidates for the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and Houses of Assembly elections. After that date, we will review the price.”

    On how the association would monitor its members to ensure compliance, Okoronkwo said: “We have a mechanism of reaching every member and ensuring that all comply.”

    Okoronkwo had on February 17, through the Northwest Zonal Chairman of IPMAN, Alhaji Bashir Salisu Tahir in Kano, directed IPMAN members to reduce pump price of petrol from N145 to N140 as part of the association’s contribution towards encouraging voters to participate in the election processes.

    However, another IPMAN factional leader, Mr. Sanusi Fari, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), countered the directive and told IPMAN members to disregard Okoronkwo’s directive on price reduction.

    Fari called on members to disregard the national president’s directive on plans to reduce the petrol pump price from N145 to N140.

    He urged members to continue to render their services to the public in view of the one-week postponement of the elections. He urged members not to sell petrol above the Federal Government’s approved pump price of N145.

    The Deputy National President, IPMAN Western Zone, Alhaji  Debo Ahmed, said  Okoronkwo had no right to direct any member to sell at N140.

    Ahmed added that Okoronkwo did not have filling stations and he was not the association’s president.

    He wondered how marketers would reduce price when government as the sole importer and supply of the product had not reduced price.

    “Where will Okoronkwo get the product that would be sold at N140 from? The price of transportation to take product to station has increased due to increase in diesel price. It’s not possible to reduce price to N140 per litre. We don’t know where he got his information from, since he is not the president. He is on his own. The Southwest will not align with his directive; he should not politicise people’s business for his personal interest,” Ahmed said.

  • IPMAN backs Buhari for 2019 elections

    The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria ( IPMAN ) on Friday threw their weight behind President Muhammadu Buhari in his re-election bid.

    The body adopted Buhari as its candidate during a courtesy visit of its National Executive Committee to the State House, Abuja.

    Speaking on behalf of the group, the National President, Chinedu Okoronkwo, thanked the President for his support to the industry.

    Noting that the country was faced with frequent problem of petroleum products supply before Buhari’s administration, he said that there is free flow of petroleum products under Buhari.

    He also said that the industry was enmeshed in deep corruption before Buhari’s administration, which is now a thing of the past.

    He said “We are solidly behind your reelection bid. In our meetings, we have adopted you as our candidate.”

    “Your success in the election will be a success for Nigeria,” he added.

    He also assured that there will be no fuel scarcity in the country throughout the period of the general elections.

    Stressing that the association is ready to continue to work with the Buhari administration to surmount remaining problems in the industry, he disclosed that the association is planning to set up refineries in the country.

    President Buhari thanked the group for adopting him as their candidate for the election.

  • Assist marketers with low interest loan, IPMAN urges

    Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), yesterday urged the Federal Government to assist banks to grant low interest loans to marketers in order to enable them to import petroleum products into the country.

    The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) is now the sole importer of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) owing to the complaint of the marketers that the product is heavily subsidised and that the Federal Government is not ready to fund the marketers with a fresh Petroleum Support Fund (PSF).

    But speaking with The Nation on phone yesterday,  its National Vice President, Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi, said that if the Federal Government assists the marketers with a one percent interest rate loan, it will improve the supply of the product.

    He said: “The Federal Government should give loans from bank at low interest rate to marketers. This will go a long way to improve the supply of petrol in Nigeria.”

    Projecting into the petroleum products marketing in 2019, he said there may be a reduction in the pump price of the petrol because of the sustained stability in the sale of the PMS.

    According to him, the market has recorded serious reduction in the corrupt practices that characterised the sale in the past years.

    He said: “We no longer pay money before we collect the product at the depots. There is no delay in loading the product now.

    “We now load between one to two days instead of queueing for years as in the past.”

    He thanked President Muhammadu Buhari, the Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, the Group Managing Director of the NNPC for sustaining constant availability of the product for a long time.

    The availability, he said, has technically eliminated  hoarding of petrol while some marketers even sell it below the approved pump pump price.

     

  • IPMAN warns against charlatans

    The National President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Elder Chinedu Okorokwo, yesterday warned against any group of persons parading themselves as officials of the association.

    Okoronkwo, gave the warning on the heels of a Supreme Court judgment of December 14, 2018, which affirmed his position as the president of the association, following a leadership tussle.

    He said those parading themselves as such were miscreants and called on the relevant authorities to take action against them.

    In the judgment with number SC.15/2018 five Justices of the Supreme Court had unanimously struck out an appeal brought against Okoronkwo, by Chief Obasi Lawson, affirming him (Okoronkwo) as the president of the group.

    In their ruling, the five judges of the apex court led by Justice Ejembo Eko took a unanimous decision describing the appeal as an academic exercise and incompetent.

    Okoronkwo, who spoke with reporters in Calabar said: “Those people going against the Supreme Court judgment are not my members but just miscreants. If they were to be members, the position of the law is very obvious were the Supreme Court has finally brought to an end the tussle.

    “So what are they agitating for again? The ruling is very clear and it says the appeal lacks credit and it is incompetent. That my preliminary objection is sustained, N2million as cost was awarded against them; it is a straight forward matter.”

    On measures that may be taken against such persons, he said: “There is law and order in the country and it will be reported to appropriate quarter for necessary action. Now we have one IPMAN under my leadership and my assurance is that we will work with all relevant agencies of government with a view to ensuring steady supply of this products. We are businessmen and our business and our members should always have stock in our stations. For members of the public, they should not listen to miscreants.”

     

  • IPMAN hails Supreme Court’s judgment

    Members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) have praised the Supreme Court’s judgment in Abuja, which declared Chief Chinedu Okoronkwo as the national president of the association.

    The marketers’ commendation was contained in a statement by their National Secretary, Alhaji Danladi Pasali, after a National Executive Meeting (NEC) on the Supreme Court’s pronouncement that validated Okoronkwo as the substantive IPMAN National president.

    Pasali said the new development would address the issues of misconduct and mismanagement, currently rocking the association.

    Okoronkwo won at the High Court, Appeal Court and Supreme Court judgment against Mr. Lawson Obasi, over the leadership tussle, which lingered for over four years.

    In a unanimous judgment, the Supreme Court struck out Chief Lawson Obasi’s appeal. It  also fined Obasi N2 million to be paid to Okoronkwo, adding that  Okoronkwo remained IPMAN’s substantive national president based on the Supreme Court judgment, delivered on December 14, 2018.

    According to him, the interest of all members of the association will be a top priority of the president, adding that the judgment was a welcome development to IPMAN members, and the oil and gas industry nationwide.

    “The judgment will enable us maintain the serenity we normally enjoyed in the distribution and dispensing of petroleum products to Nigerians across the country. Now that Okoronkwo is legally and fully on the IPMAN’s driver seat, members will get their allocation accordingly.

    “The NEC has reached an agreement with oil marketers for better synergy in meeting product availability in the country. IPMAN controls 80 per cent of the outlets nationwide and has control in distribution and dispensing of fuel in both urban and hinterland,” Passali added.

    Similarly, Okoronkwo also said the Supreme Court ruling is a reaffirmation of the role of the Judiciary in settling dispute without going to war or shedding blood carelessly. He saluted the Judiciary on the judgment, which is the first of its kind in pursuing IPMAN’s dispute up to the Supreme Court in Nigeria.

    Okoronkwo said: “It is not news that IPMAN has been embroiled in leadership tussle since January 2014, which has ended with the Supreme Court judgment. Let me make it abundantly clear that the Supreme Court ruling has brought to an end all IPMAN’s legal matters. IPMAN, as a family, has become stronger with a direction and solid foundation. The founding board of trustees members of IPMAN as registered with Corporate Affairs Commission in 1983 Constitution, has all passed away and one day,  we at the leadership of IPMAN today, will also bequeath IPMAN to our children yet unborn.

    “That is the more reason we should drop our personal interests for a better and virile IPMAN that will challenge the future threats to our businesses,” he said.

    He added:“We have lost trillions of naira while many of our members have lost their lives in the last five years because of lack of leadership in IPMAN to coordinate our businesses within the government circle and other stakeholders in the downstream sector. IPMAN was not represented when major policy decisions were being taken to move our businesses forward, but that has changed henceforth. The setback we have experienced in our businesses as IPMAN members in the last five years has become history today as IPMAN will henceforth be represented in all statutory boards of Federal Government’s agencies to protect members interest.

    “I promise to run a government where all IPMAN members nation wide will look at their shoulders and be proud of being members of our great association.”

    He commended President Muhammadu Buhari, Minister of Petroleum Resources and Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Group Managing Director (GMD), Dr Maikanti Baru, and his management team for their understanding, tolerance during the Association’s trying period.

    Members of IPMAN NEC recognised by the Supreme  Court judgment include Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, National President; Alhaji Abubakar Maigani Shettima, Vice President; Aihaji Danladi Pasali, National Secretary; Bola Adeleke, National Treasurer; and Chief Leo Nkameme, National Organising Secretary.

  • IPMAN suspends partnership with refiners, others

    The Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has suspended talks with foreign oil refining companies until after the resolution of its crisis in December this year, its Controller of Operation, Mr. Mike Osatuyi, has said.

    He also said IPMAN will not seek lending from international financial institutions in order to boost its operation, discuss the possibility of importing premium motor spirit (PMS) into the country, among other issues that are germane to the downstream sub-sector of the oil and gas industry.

    In a telephone interview with The Nation, he said the development is aimed at ensuring that IPMAN has a clearer issue of happenings to the sub-sector, operates in line with the constitution, which guides activities of individuals and organisations in the country.

    Osatuyi said: “IPMAN, like any other, is subject to the law of the land, therefore, ensures that it operates within the confines of the law. The Supreme Court has fixed December for the hearing and judgement on the case that borders on leadership tussle in the union. The case is being presented for hearing and judgment in order to find a lasting solution to the crisis. The issue is decisive, as it will enable IPMAN to know and take the next line of action needed to move the union forward.”

    He said IPMAN would get better and stronger after the resolution of its leadership crisis, noting that such issues are tests of the viabilities of any organisation that is determined to be progressive in the society.

    Osatuyi said the  leadership crisis might be a major reason, why IPMAN is not enjoying the support of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC),  stressing that NNPC would love to see all the stakeholders living in peace in order to be able to promote the corporate existence of the industry.

    He said the role of IPMAN is central to the growth of the downstream sub-sector of the nation’s oil industry as it controls larger percentage of the fuel distribution market.

    “IPMAN is controlling more than 70 per cent the retail outlets nationwide. Its outlets are visible and have also helped in ensuring seamless distribution of petroleum products across the country,” he added

    He noted that IPMAN has concluded plans to set up its own refineries, in order improve local consumption of fuel. He said when IPMAN’s refineries come on stream, they would help Nigeria to export fuel to other countries in the West African sub-region and beyond.

    Similarly, IPMAN’s southwest Chairman, AlhajiDebo Ahmed, urged the Federal Government to provide an enabling environment for investors that want to go into processing of crude oil in Nigeria, adding the idea would help in contributing to the growth of the economy.

     

  • Strike: we must sell fuel, says IPMAN

    The Vice President, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Abubakar Maigandi, yesterday said that members of the association must sell their petroleum products, because they are not part of the industrial action declared by Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Trade Union Congress (TUC) .

    He condemned the decision of the organised labour to go on strike now that the government is making frantic efforts to make petroleum products available despite all the disadvantages that it faces.

    Maigandi, told The Nation  that IPMAN was completely against the strike.

    He however called on the striking labour to return to the negotiation table with the government in the interest of peace.

    His words: “We are going to sell fuel. Our association is not part of the strike, and we are totally against it because the government is doing good things. We have availability of the petroleum products, and the masses are very happy to go the various stations and take their fuel.

    “Definitely, Independent Petroleum Marketers, we are are not in support of the strike. And we are still appealing to the organized labour to come back immediately for the interest of peace so that they can negotiate with the government.”

    The organised labour commenced its industrial action on Monday morning over government’s refusal to implement the new national minimum wage.

    Meanwhile, the Group Managing Director of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Dr. Maikanti Baru, has appealed to motorists and other consumers of petroleum products across the country, not to engage in panic buying of products over the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) planned industrial action.

    Baru said the Federal Government was seriously engaging the NLC on the issues it raised, a release by NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, stated yesterday (Wednesady) in Abuja.

    Ughamadu quoted the NNPC GMD as affirming that the Nation had 37- day petroleum Premium Motor Spirit (PMS), otherwise called petrol, self- sufficiency, assuring that all the NNPC’s depots across the country, including the private ones engaged by the corporation on throughput basis, have an abundance of petroleum products to meet the needs of Nigerians.

  • 2019: IPMAN, PTD, others buy nomination form for El-Rufai

    Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Petroleum Tanker Drivers Association (PTD), National Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) and two other associations have bought nomination form for Kaduna State Governor Nasir El-Rufai to seek re-election.
    Governor El-Rufai while receiving the nomination form the head of the delegation, Alh Abbas Likoro at the Sir Kashim Ibrahim Government House, Kaduna on Monday, Governor El-Rufai said it was the most pleasant surprise of his life.
    According to the Governor, “when the party fixed the money for form. I could remember that during the meeting the President was the first person to raise his hand and said he does not have N50m.
    ”Infact, we the governors started discussing on how we will raise the money for Mr President. We said each governor will contribute N2m each. And we travelled to China and it was in China I told the President that some group have purchased the form for you. So who will buy my own for me?
    “I don’t have N20m also to buy my form. The money I have in the bank is not close to that amount. I have only one account in Guarantee Trust Bank. Except I sell my house will I be able to raise that that amount.” El-Rufai said.
    He told the delegation he had accepted the nomination form in good faith and would re-double his efforts in improving the lives of the citizens of the state.
    El-Rufai re-assured the delegation that he would continue to ensure that whoever is living in the state irrespective of his or her religious or tribal inclinations gets justice.
    He also reaffirmed his committed to improving the physical insfrastrures he has started and will continue to build roads, assist farmers, as well as provide quality healthcare service in rural areas.
    Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Alh Abbas Likoro remarked that they were in Government House to plead with him to re-contest.
    He said his group, IPMAN, PTD, NARTO, Traders of Sheikh Mahmud Gummi Market and The Katsina and Daura People’s Association all living in Kaduna decided to purchase his party’s nomination form because they have seen in him a leader who had done well since assmption of office and deserves second term.