NNPC to Oil Marketers: You are liars, we continued to supply you despite your owing us N26.7b

*Says they refused to import fuel despite N305 to $1 FG’s concession

* Arguments in oil marketers’ circle as IPMAN, MOMAN confirm NNPC supplies against DAPPMA’s denial

The Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, yesterday, accused oil marketers, under the aegis of Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association, DAPPMA, of distorting the facts in their claims that its members’ tanks are empty because they were not being supplied Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, also known as petrol.

NNPC, in a statement in Abuja, by its Group General Manager, Public Affairs Division, Mr. Ndu Ughamadu, described DAPPMA’S claims as unfortunate, stating that it had continued to supply the marketers huge quantities of the product despite the group’s N26.7 billion debt to its subsidiary, the Petroleum Products Marketing Company, PPMC, as at December 21, 2017.

Ughamadu also accused DAPPMA of refusing to resume fuel imports, despite concession granted the group by the Federal Government to obtain foreign exchange at the official rate of N305 to a dollar.

He said: “NNPC wishes to affirm that it has supplied appreciable volume to DAPPMA, Major Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, and Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, to rid the challenges currently being experienced in the supply and distribution of petroleum products in the country.

“NNPC regrets that DAPPMA, which members had taken receipts of products from PPMC, a subsidiary of NNPC and owe the company to the tune of N26.7bn as at December 21, 2017, has the audacity to indict NNPC unjustifiably.

“The statement by DAPPMA that the current hiccups in the supply of products was due to the inability of the Direct Sale Direct Purchase, DSDP partners of NNPC to deliver on their business obligations is unfounded and self-indicting as many  DAPPMA members patronize the same DSDP international counterparts as the corporation.

“Despite the concession by the government giving access to DAPPMA to obtain FOREX at an official rate of N305 per dollar for PMS import, their members have not been able to do so, leaving NNPC as the sole supplier of PMS to the Nigerian market.”

Ughamadu assured the public that despite the increase it effected in the supply of PMS in December 2017, it has nonetheless, programmed to supply 1.2 billion litres of the product in January 2018, translating to about 40 million litres of PMS supply per day. He explained that ordinarily, Nigeria consumes about 700 trucks, an equivalent of 27 million to 30 million litres per day.

“Despite the current challenges, Nigerians are reassured that there is no plan to increase PMS pump price above N145 per litre and that NNPC will continue to maintain ex–depot price of N133.28 per litre which guarantees the pump price not exceeding the N145 per litre capped by the government.

“All stakeholders are implored to support the efforts of government to bring a speedy end to the current fuel distribution challenges being experienced in parts of the country as this is not the time to play the blame game,” the NNPC spokesman noted.

NNPC Supplies: Oil marketers counter one another as IPMAN, MOMAN confirms NNPC supplies against DAPPMA’s denial

Meanwhile, Executive Secretary of DAPPMA, Mr. Olufemi Oluwole, when contacted for response on NNPC claim, disclosed in a telephone interview that the association will respond at an appropriate time.

He said DAPPMA was mainly interested in getting adequate supplies for its members to sell in order to assist in tackling the shortage.

The DAPPMA boss, Oluwole, failed however to state why its group continued to cry over NNPC supposed inadequate supplies while NNPC had cleared air over its allegation exposing the oil marketers as cause of their own business predicaments, saying they were given concession by the Federal Government to access foreign exchange for N305 to one dollar but that they refused to resume importation of fuel themselves.  The NNPC said, despite that, it never stopped to supply the oil marketers with petrol product but, like it said in last few days, they chose to hoard the product thereby causing artificial fuel scarcity to maximize profit for themselves to the detriment of innocent Nigerian people.

Also, Operations Controller of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Mr. Mike Osatuyi said that IPMAN has been getting supplies from the NNPC.

He said: “For instance, IPMAN members lifted 15 trucks of fuel from Ejigbo, yesterday, for distribution,” adding that the shortage will be tackled if supplies from NNPC were sustained.

“We lifted 15 trucks from NNPC today (yesterday) at Ejigbo depot. If the supplies are sustained, the situation would certainly improve. ’Our members will cooperate with NNPC and other stakeholders to tackle the scarcity as soon as possible.”

Executive Secretary of Major Marketers Association of Nigeria, MOMAN, Mr. Femi Olawore could not be reached for comments, Wednesday.

But a source in the association said the major marketers, including MRS, Conoil, Total and Oando, have been getting regular supplies from NNPC.

Address fuel scarcity, Labour tells FG Organised labour has also called on the Federal Government to immediately address all identified challenges that brought about the current acute scarcity of petroleum products across the country.

Speaking through the United Labour Congress of Nigeria, ULC, labour said: “We believe that Nigerian workers and masses deserve a better treatment than these excuses before things get out of hand.”

It urged all government agencies involved in making products available in the country to move very fast and bridge the supply gap either by importing more directly or making foreign exchange available to importers to bring in more products.

ULC in a statement by its President, Joe Ajaero, while contending that the more sensible approach to ensuring a permanent end to scarcity was to ensure that local refineries are made to work optimally, said:  “We hope once again that this is not a prelude to the 2012 gimmick as giving Nigerians sorrow and bitterness during this period has become the sole aim of our various governments.

“Our investigations and reports reaching us from our affiliates in the industry shows that the present situation is clearly a manifestation of another failure of leadership in Nigeria. It cannot be blamed on any panic buying or hoarding as the product is seriously in short supply. Importers are not bringing in enough products while NNPC is not in any position to meet the demands of the market.”