Petrol marketers threaten strike as they buy from depots at N185 per liter

Fuel scarcity is looming again as the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria on Monday, October 31, 2022, threatened to withdraw its service due to the incessant increase in the price of petrol in the southeast.

The marketers said private depots owners are responsible for the hike in petrol price.

In a statement on Monday, the marketers said they were buying from depots owners at N185 per liter, adding that if other expenses are added, the pump price of petrol would increase to N200 per litre.

They therefore implored the Federal Government to revive all the depots belonging to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) in the southeast to enable them to get petrol at a regulated price.

The statement reads: “It is no longer news that premium motor spirit, known as petrol, is sold at N200 per litre in the Eastern part of Nigeria, including Portharcourt, Enugu, Owerri, Awka, Uyo, Cross River, Aba, Yenagoa, Makurdi, Lokoja. The real cause of hike in price is the incessant increment in price of premium spirit from private depot owners. A litre of fuel is being sold to us at the rate of N185 per litre.

“When you add transport and logistics including the exploitation by NUPENG in the name of union fee, which is over N120,000 per truck, the price will be more than N200 per liter. Even at N200 per litre, considering the high cost of diesel to power the station and the exploitation from private tank depot owners and NUPENG, our business cannot thrive. Our various associations have met, and we have resolved to withdraw our services.

“Hence, we cannot cope with the harsh environment of doing business, caused by private depot owners and NUPENG. We’re calling on the federal government to revive our various NNPC depots within the Eastern zone to enable us to get premium motor spirit at a regulated price.

The marketers also called on the Nigeria Labour Congress and the management of NNPC to appeal to the leadership of NUPENG to lessen their burden by reducing the loading fee.