The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, has debunked the reports that it was planning to increase the price of Premium Motor Spirit, popularly known as petroleum, above official pump price of N145 per litre.
Reports had it that the Chairman for Ore Depot, Shina Amoo had said that independent marketers might soon start selling beyond N145 per litre if depot owners continued to sell between N136.50 and N137, instead of official price of N133.28 per litre.
However, the Kano Zonal Chairman of IPMAN, Bashir Dan-mallam, in a press conference on Tuesday, said the association was not planning to increase any amount above N145.
According to him, the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC had supplied adequate petroleum to its 21 depots across the country, and hired 4 more private depots in order to maintain the existing price of the commodity.
The chairman noted that it is left for a dealer to buy the product at government or private owned depots, stressing that there is no plan to increase price of the commodity as no situation in sight that could warrant that decision.
He, however, called on petroleum dealers to go to any government depots across the country to buy the commodity.
“I read that report on paper but it is actually not true. With this adequate and available product why should we increase the price.
“We have 21 depots owned by government across Nigeria. Let me tell you that all these depots are filled with petroleum.
”Even the NNPC had hired 4 more depots from private individuals in Warri, Ogara, Calabar and Lagos. All these are filled with petroleum, so there is no basis for price increment,” said Mr Dan-mallam.
He revealed that the report had promoted the MD PPMC, Umar Ajiya to constitute a committee of inquiry, calling on him (Ajiya) to sanction whoever is found selling the product above the official price.
Mr Dan-mallam also said that at association level, IPMAN would sanction anybody found selling petroleum above N133.28, adding that the National President of the association had called and cautioned the members against further transmitting the rumour.
“Let me use this opportunity to call on dealers to come to Kano, Kaduna, Bauchi and other places to buy petroleum. We have it available there,” he said.
