Hauwa Ali
IPMAN Urges Government Intervention to Stop Illegal Levy Imposed by Petroleum Tanker Drivers” The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has called on the federal government to intervene and put an end to the “illegal” fee imposed by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) association on its members. During a press conference in Abuja, IPMAN’s national Public Relations Officer (PRO), Yakubu Suleiman, emphasized the need for the government and the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to identify those responsible for impeding the distribution of petrol (PMS) in the country. Suleiman revealed that the PTD had allegedly sabotaged the distribution process by charging IPMAN members an additional fee of N23,000 per loaded truck at the depot. This levy has significantly reduced the meager profits earned by IPMAN members. Suleiman explained that the cost of loading and transporting a truckload of petrol had risen to over N23 million, resulting in a profit of only N500,000. Despite years of fighting against extortion by petroleum tanker drivers, IPMAN’s pleas have been disregarded. The association has now instructed its members to cease payment of the imposed levy, urging the PTD to discontinue its collection.