- Safiu Kehinde
The Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) has suspended the supply of petrol, also known as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to Independent Marketers amidst surging price.
This was disclosed by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria’s (IPMAN) National Vice President, Hammed Fashola, in an interview yesterday.
Fashola said that the NNPC stopped selling fuel to independent marketers on Tuesday, following the increase in price of a litre of the Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to N855 and above.
The decision, according to the IPMAN Vice President, was made by the NNPC without notifying the marketers.
He expressed concern over marketers who had made advanced payment and was expecting supply before the sudden suspension.
“It is a very bad situation for somebody who has paid for the product, maybe like two to three months ago, and all of a sudden, you stopped loading, maybe because you want to change the price. And it’s not the fault of that customer, because it is supposed to be cash-and-carry. So, I think the NNPC should look at that situation critically.” Fashola said.
According to report, NNPC usually prioritised major marketers while IPMAN members resorted to private depot owners, who sold at higher prices, leading to a wide gap between the prices offered by both categories of marketers.
“We’re usually forced to go to private depots, it’s not out of our own volition. We were forced to go there because of inadequate supply,” Fashola added.