IPMAN

Awka, Dec. 22, 2023: The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria  (IPMAN) has called on the Federal Government to pay members their bridging claims of about N15 billion.

Mr Chinedu Anyaso, Chairman of IPMAN, Enugu Depot Community comprising Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States, made the call in an interview with journalists in Awka on Thursday.

Anyaso said the non-payment of bridging claims was weighing heavily on members’ businesses as most of them could no longer repay their bank loans while others had closed shop and sent their workers home.

He said the outstanding claims was for the period between 2021 and May 2023.

“Our members can no longer remain in business because of these debts as their banks are on them. We are talking of about N15 billion.

“We may have to shut down operations after Christmas and New Year celebrations to press home our demand.”

Anyaso said the association had written to the federal government through the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority with respect to the matter.

A copy of the letter, made available to journalists, reads in part, “we write on behalf of our members operating in Enugu, Anambra, Ebonyi States and parts of Kogi, Benue, Imo, Abia and Cross River States to kindly request for payment of our claims.

“Most of our members’ petrol stations are closing up as a result of these outstanding payments.

“As an association, the progress of our members’ businesses is very paramount and we are seriously under pressure to take any action towards recovering these payments,” it said.

Anyaso assured customers in the areas of seamless operation during the yuletide, indicating that there was enough supply of products in the system to take care of demands.

Awka, Sept. 1, 2023: The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has set up a special taskforce to check the menace of adulterated products.

IPMAN, Enugu Depot in charge of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States said this in a communique raised at its Annual General Meeting and made available to journalists on Awka on Friday.

The communique which was signed by Mr Chinedu Anyaso and Emeka Iloafor, Chairman and Secretary of the depot respectively said another committee had been set to recover debts owed members by State Governments for products supplied.

The association said it viewed the recent removal of petrol subsidy and its implication on households and decided to take deliberate actions to ensure customers’ value for money.

It said the special taskforce which were set up in each of the states under it’s jurisdiction would work with security agencies and would commence routine surveillance soon.

“We have equally resolved to take the issue of adulterated petroleum products and under dispensing very seriously.

“We have set up a task force that will collaborate with the security agencies to make sure that anybody caught in the act are brought to book.

“The debt owed to our members as a result of the diesel they supplied to State Governments must be recovered, the executives has been mandated to set up a committee that will tackle the issue as soon as possible.

“We will always strive to protect the interest of our members and the public for the good of our country,” it said.

IPMAN Enugu Depot lamented that trading capitals of many of its members were trapped in Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) which according to them had not been for years.

It called on the Federal government to confirm and honour the claims of members which it said ran into billions of naira to enable marketers stay in business.

The AGM reiterated that the dividend of bulk share it purchased for members in NIPCO in 2001 should be paid in bulk for onward payment to individual holders through the depot leadership.

“All our members whose funds are trapped with PEF should as matters of urgency visit our office for proper verification and follow up on the payment.

“We have resolved and withdrawn the pending Court case with Weight and Measure and the case resolved.

“Our members’ shares with NIPCO which is calculated cumulatively to be N10 Million since 2001 should be equally shared among our 419 members that subscribed to the bulk depot share then,’ it said.

Awka, Aug. 27, 2023: The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has condemned what it described as the attempt by State governments to take over the role of the regulator of the downstream petroleum operations in Southeast.

Mr Chinedu Anyaso, chairman of IPMAN, Enugu Depot, in charge of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States, said this in an interview with newsmen in Awka on Sunday.

Anyaso said state governments did not have the standardised and approved equipment to measure the accuracy of dispensing machines and they lacked the powers to supervise downstream petroleum operations.

He said IPMAN condemned the invasion of marketers’ outlets by state governments in the guise of enforcing prices and monitoring dispensing machines.

He said Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) remained the only constitutionally-empowered body to regulate downstream sector operations and that states were free to work with them if they wished.

According to him, state governments are not empowered to carry out regulatory functions over downstream operators; they lack the expertise and the seraphim bottles they are using are not certified to have been properly calibrated.

“NMDPRA is the only body empowered by the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA), Sec 48 (1), to carry out all the regulatory activities in the sector.

“IPMAN Enugu depot condemns the invasion of our filling stations; Anambra government did it and we protested but most recently, the Enugu State government is doing the same thing with deliberate effort to blackmail some of our members.

“This is sheer overzealousness on the part of some aides of governors. We call on our governors to call these people to order, to avoid putting IPMAN on a collision course with state governments,” he warned.

Anyaso said IPMAN was not absolving its members of sharp practices but insisted that state governments should collaborate with NMDPRA, established by the Federal Government to supervise the sector if the need arises.

“IPMAN is not by any means saying that all our members are free from malpractice. We are not holding brief for them either; all we are saying is that things should be done properly by the appropriate authority.

“NMDPRA has offices in almost all the states, so state governments should work with them. On our part, IPMAN has a taskforce as an internal mechanism to check infractions by our members,” he said.

Awka, Aug. 12, 2023: The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Enugu Depot, says it has not called on members over any form of revalidation with respect to its shares in NIPCO PLC.

Mr Chinedu Anyaso, Chairman of IPMAN Enugu Depot Community, said this in Awka on Friday while reacting to a form circulating among its members which was calling on them to revalidate their shares.

Anyaso alerted that there was an illegal circular directing members to pay N20,000 each as processing fee to make them get their share dividends individually as against the bulk purchase and payment arrangement it had with the company.

He said the leadership of IPMAN, under him, neither issued the directive nor was aware of it while urging his members to disregard the document and avoid falling victim to fraudulent antics.

“Our attention has been drawn to a message being circulated by some persons masquerading as representatives of IPMAN, calling on members who bought shares in NIPCO Plc to pay N20,000 as processing fee for filling of purported share revalidation form.

“They claim that this will enable these members who bought shares through the depot unit to be entitled to their dividends/bonuses that have accrued for well over 20 years.

“I want to call on my members in Enugu depot to disregard this directive because it did not emanate from us, we are not aware of it, it is fraudulent and divisive.

“No member should fall for it, our shares are still in bulk, we are still united and if any need arises, we know the best way to communicate to members,” he said.

Anyaso said IPMAN leadership would continue to do everything which is legally possible to protect the interest of members.

He said the association had written to the company through its lawyers to alert it about the development and for appropriate action.

Lagos, Aug. 1, 2023:The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) says it is ready to support the Federal Government in mitigating the impact of subsidy removal on Nigerians.

Alhaji Debo Ahmed, a former Vice Chairman, IPMAN Western zone, gave the assurance on Tuesday in Lagos.

Ahmed also expressed IPMAN’s willingness to collaborate with the government in developing alternative sources of energy to alleviate the effects of subsidy removal.

“We expect FG to call critical downstream stakeholders to fathom a design of alternative sources of energy and how this can go round the country within the shortest possible time.

“IPMAN is ready to synergies with the government in this respect because of our spread and ability to deliver whenever called upon by the government,” he said.

He highlighted the importance of exploring Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) and Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) as competitive and viable options.

Ahmed emphasised that IPMAN’s extensive network of filling stations could facilitate the installation of CNG and LPG facilities across the country.

He called on the government to swiftly address this urgent matter by providing financial support and establishing CNG vehicle conversion centers.

“It is an urgent issue that bothers on economic expediency, the government should not delay.

“With this huge money realised government should be able to provide busses that use CNG and normal fossil oil but fare reduction to the barest minimum in order not to kill huge investments in the fossil oil business.

“The National Gas Expansion Programme Committee should be call back to continue their good work of bringing sellers and suppliers of CNG equipment together and also the quality assurance,” Ahmed said.

He suggested reviving the refineries under close government supervision and urged the National Gas Expansion Programme Committee to continue its commendable work.

Mr Joe Nwakwue, an oil and gas consultant and former Chairman, SPE Nigerian Council, said that the implementation of subsidy removal requires careful planning.

Nwakwue said this would ensure timely rollout of palliatives and judicious use of the saved funds, thereby benefiting all Nigerians.

He said that the subsidy savings remained the best solution, noting that its real implementation would reduce borrowing by the government.

“In essence, we were hitherto funding subsidies from borrowings, the elimination should reduce the fiscal pressure to borrow;” he said.

Mr Tunji Oyebanji, the Chief Executive Officer of 11 Plc said that it was obviously, that the savings was made possible, because the government through  NNPCL was no longer bearing the cost.

According to him, the government should be wary of slipping back into the subsidy regime because prices are still rising.

“It should ensure judicious use of the saved funds and the timely rollout of palliatives,” Oyebanji said.

President Tinubu, on July 31, in a nationwide broadcast said that for over two months, government had saved over a trillion Naira.

Tinubu said that the money would be used more directly and more beneficially for all families.

According to him, for several years, he has consistently maintained the position that the fuel subsidy has to go.

Awka, July 19, 2023: The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has said that the hike in the price of products due to abrupt removal of subsidy was threatening the survival of their businesses.

Mr Chinedu Anyaso, Chairman of IPMAN Enugu Depot Community said average sales had dropped by about 50 percent from May 30 to date.

Anyaso, whose depot serves Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States, said marketers were facing existential challenge as low profits as a result of reduced sales was affecting their abilities to meet their operational cost and obligation with banks.

He said if the negative development was not urgently challenged, many operators would shut down, adding that it would result in the collapse of the downstream sector and loss of numerous jobs.

According to him, marketers are worse affected by this policy of subsidy removal, profitability has reduced because average sales has reduced by about 50 percent.

“Most marketers are finding it difficult to remain in business because increasing cost of operation, payment of workers and meeting bank obligations is becoming difficult.

“We appeal to the Federal Government to save downstream operations from collapsing by working on reduction in pump prices,” he said.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that Premium Motor Spirit now sells for between ₦630 and ₦640 in Awka, the capital of Anambra and its environ.

Abuja, July 13, 2023: The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged the Federal Government to prevail upon the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), to stop forthwith the illegal levy imposed on their members.

IPMAN National Public Relation Officer (PRO), Yakubu Suleiman, said during a news conference in Abuja on Wednesday that the call followed a meeting of the Central Working Committee (CWC) of the association.

Suleiman said it had become imperative for Nigerians especially the Federal Government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to know those allegedly sabotaging the distribution of Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) in the country.

“We want the government and NNPCL to be aware that Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), as an association, is allegedly the number one enemy of fuel subsidy removal and deregulation,” he said.

Suleiman said that the PTD had allegedly exhibited an act of sabotage on PMS distribution by levying IPMAN members N23,000 for each truck loaded at the depot.

He described the levy as an “extortion”, while calling on President Bola Tinubu and the NNPCL to call the tanker driver to order.

The IPMAN PRO said that the levy imposed on their members by tanker drivers had further depleted the little profit left for them to keep their fuel distribution business going.

He said that a truck load of PMS initially cost them about seven million naira but that the subsidy removal pushed it to above 23 million naira to load and transport the same product to their various fuel stations.

“We have been fighting extortion by petroleum tanker drivers for about 10 years now and we have been telling them that this market is based on profit but our pleas have fallen on deaf ears.

“They have been extorting different amounts from our members; from N200,000 and we thought that with the removal of subsidy that the era of extortion will go, unfortunately, more have been added.

“Reports have reached our secretariat of another levy of N23,000 being collected by PTD from our members and we don’t know what that money is for.

“We make a profit of only N500,000 on each truck of PMS we now buy at above 23 million naira and it can take us days or weeks to sell.

“Inside that N500,000, there are other logistics that we must take care of, especially providing fuel for the truck that will carry the product, providing fuel for the engine that will carry light at the stations and so on.

“At the end of the day we are left with about N200,000; we do it out of patriotism and support to the FG and NNPCL, then from nowhere our members are paying N23,000 for what they don’t know about,” Suleiman said.

He therefore, urged PTD to steer clear of that levy as they have instructed IPMAN members to stop the payment.

The IPMAN PRO said that continuing the levy or extortion would lead them to taking a drastic action, to protect their members.

“If nothing is done, we will call our members to stop loading and we have given a time frame to watch development before we carry out our action.

“We urge them to call PTD to order to henceforth stop collecting these levies from our members. Trucks belong to us an drivers work for us, then, why are we been surcharged for providing food for the family.

“The constitution of PTD allows them to collect only N300 from their members, not outside and not from IPMAN. We support PIA.

“As IPMAN, we levy only our members; we don’t levy other organisations or associations, which is what our constitution says, but to our chagrin, tanker drivers left their territory and started further levying of IPMAN members.

“At the moment we are working on ensuring that more importers join the NNPCL to bring in PMS. And we hope that the price will soon begin to come down since the market forces determine the price.

“We assure President Bola Tinubu and NNPCL that IPMAN as an association, is in full support of deregulation and we will continue to ensure that supply and distribution of petroleum products succeed in the country.