By Udo Ibuot
INDICATIONS yesterday emerged of a looming scarcity of fuel ahead of Christmas celebrations, as Lagos State Independent Petroleum Markers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, gave a December 11 deadline to withdraw its services in Lagos and its environs especially part of Ogun State.

National President, Independent Petrol Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Aminu Abdullahi (left) the Chairman, Import Committee of IPMAN, Mr. Felanle Mohammed (centre) and the Vice President of IPMAN, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo (right) during the ongoing Fuel Subsidy Probe at the National Assembly Complex in Abuja Wednesday. Photo by Gbemiga Olamikan

If the action goes ahead as planned it may lead to a shutdown of over 900 filling stations in Lagos and surrounding states leading to fuel crisis during the yuletide festivities.

IPMAN in a statement by its state chairman, Alhaji Alanamu Balogun, Vice chairman, Pastor Gbenga Ilupeju, and secretary, Prince Kunle Oyenuga, disclosed that members were set for a showdown with Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, over irregular fuel supply at Ejigbo satellite depot.

The group said it took the painful decision because its members had been running their fuel stations at a loss since the past eight months due to NNPC default in the bulk purchase agreement it signed with IPMAN to sell fuel to its members at N133.28 per litre.

According to the statement, “IPMAN currently sells a litre of fuel (PMS) to its members at N141, apart from running costs, bank charges and other expenses which has made it impossible for IPMAN members to sell a litre of fuel at controlled price of N145, but N146 per litre.”

IPMAN noted that while the NNPC had refused to sell fuel to its members regularly, the corporation was “diverting the supplies to Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, DAPMAN, at a price of N117 per litre and DAPMAN in turn, sell to IPMAN members at N141 per litre. IPMAN believes that NNPC is doing this to deliberately cause fuel crisis because it cannot control DAPMAN not to inflate prices beyond government’s fixed prices.

The association urged President Muhammadu Buhari, the National Assembly, Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, the Minister of Petroleum, Lagos State Governor, Mr. Ambode Akinwunmi, the Inspector–General of Police, IGP, and other security agencies to call the NNPC and DAPMAN to order, or the IPMAN would  withdraw services and shut down all their stations in Lagos State, stressing “We have endured enough and are set for a showdown with NNPC for irregular supply at Ejigbo satellite depot, Lagos.”