Nigerians have been asked by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria to prepare for the worst fuel crisis.
IPMAN Chairman in Kano State, Bashir Danmalam who said this while addressing a news conference in Kano State on Monday, May 9, urged the federal government to avert a fuel crisis in the country by prevailing on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to pay its members their outstanding bridging claims amounting to over N500 billion.
Danmalam disclosed some of their members have been forced out of business due to the failure of the NMDPRA to pay the bridging claims (otherwise known as transportation claims) for 8 months. This has reportedly led to them being unable to transport the commodity due to the high cost of diesel.
He said: “NMDPRA is responsible for the payment of bridging claims otherwise known as transportation claims
“For failure of the NMDPRA to pay the outstanding claims for about nine months, many marketers cannot transport the product because their funds are not being paid. Despite the high price of diesel, they manage to supply petroleum products nationwide.
“The resurfacing of fuel queues in Abuja is just a tip of the iceberg with regard to the petroleum scarcity.
“Out of 100 per cent, only five per cent of the marketers can supply the petroleum products because of the failure of NMDPRA to pay them.”
Danmalam who revealed that they were only paid twice after the amalgamation of DPR, PEF, and PPRA to NMDPRA, called for an intervention from the federal government.
He added: “As leaders, we have to come out to say the truth because our members are suffering from the failure of the agency to pay the fund. This Petroleum Equalisation Fund is our own money we contribute to each litre. This agency is doing more harm than good to us.
“We are not agitating for a transportation fee increase, we are only clamouring for payment of our bridging claims that are over N500 billion”
