Fuel scarcity looms as IPMAN begins strike

By Nneka Nwogwugwu

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has on Monday embarked on strike, hence, many filling stations have been shut down.

On Sunday, the marketers threatened to embark on strike over alleged extortion by DPR officials, a claim that was denied by the regulator, as it argued that its demand from the marketers was a statutory requirement.

The IPMAN Chairman, Suleja/Abuja Unit, Yahaya Alhassan, had kicked against DPR’s request for daily stock of products supplied by dealers who patronise the Suleja depot in Niger State, describing it as unethical.

But the Head of Public Affairs of the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR), Paul Osu, in a statement said that the demand for daily transaction records from filling stations by the DPR officials is a statutoryregulatoryrequirement.

Osu said the request of daily stocks record by the DPR was to enable it provide accurate petroleum products consumption data for the country and not extortion.

“We want to state for the records that request for daily stock of products’ supplied is a statutory regulatory requirement for any retail outlet license holder, which enables DPR to provide accurate petroleum products consumption data for the country.

“This regulatory oversight is at no cost to the retail outlets,” he added.

A source who spoke to Daily Trust said the Department of Petroleum Resources DPR at its headquarters in Abuja, succeeded in convincing the group not to include Abuja in the action, with the assurance of looking into their complaint on Tuesday.