The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has called on Nigerians to prepare for the worst fuel crisis.
The petrol marketers association asked the Federal Government to prevail on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority to pay its members their outstanding bridging claims amounting to over N500 billion in order to avert a fuel crisis.
Recall that a huge crowd of people seeking petroleum products surfaced at filling stations recently in Abuja, causing mayhem to economic activities.
The remark was made by Bashir Danmalam, the Kano State IPMAN chairman while addressing a news conference in Kano State. He said the failure of the NMDPRA to pay the bridging claims, otherwise known as transportation claims, had forced many of its members out of business as they could not transport the commodity due to the high cost of diesel.
He lamented that non-payment of the claims by NMDPRA for over eight months had crippled the businesses of many of their members as they couldn’t transport the commodity even though it was available.
He said“NMDPRA is responsible for the payment of bridging claims otherwise known as transportation claims
“For failure of the NMDPRA to pay the outstanding claims for about nine months, many marketers cannot transport the product because their funds are not being paid. Despite the high price of diesel, they manage to supply petroleum products nationwide.
“The resurfacing of fuel queues in Abuja is just a tip of the iceberg with regard to the petroleum scarcity.
“Out of 100 percent, only five percent of the marketers can supply the petroleum products because of the failure of NMDPRA to pay them.”
