IPMAN Warns of Looming Fuel Scarcity Due to Attacks

By Adedapo Adesanya

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has raised alarm on looming fuel scarcity in the country as all petrol depots in the country have shut down their operations.

This happened as 10 petrol trucks belonging to its members were attacked across the country.

The Chairman of IPMAN in Rivers State, Mr Joseph Obele, although did not confirm those behind the attacks on petrol tankers, said the association has constituted a committee to investigate the issue.

Mr Obele, however, assured that IPMAN will not go on strike over the issue, as the association would not add to the pains of Nigerians at the moment, but lamented that marketers will run out of stock since depots have shut down.

According to him, “Today, reports reaching us has it that over 10 trucks belonging to our members have been set ablaze in four states, across the country.

“We have constituted a four-man committee to investigate the issue and report back to us.

“These trucks were fully loaded with about 60,000 litres of PMS, worth over N8 million each, while the cost if these trucks are over N45 million each and we are not happy with this development.

“However, we have resolved in our emergency meeting this evening that we are not going on strike, we are not shutting down supply and distribution, because we understand the sensitive nature of the products which we control.

“For the past one week, supply and distribution of petrol has never been smooth, the reason being that 90 per cent of our supply comes from Lagos and so it has been skeletal in the last one week, but today was worst all the depots in Nigeria have shut down today and you know we don’t produce these products, but we buy from depots and tank farms.

“So if these depots are not selling to us, we fear that our members will run out of stock, which will lead to product scarcity in the next few days.”

Business Post understands that the past few days have seen attacks on many facilities across the country as hoodlums took advantage of peaceful protests over police reforms in the country to loot and damage properties.