The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Enugu Depot, has called on members of the public not to panic over the issue of withdrawal of services by its members.
The Chairman of the Association, Chinedu Anyaso, made the call in a chat with Radio Nigeria in Enugu.
Mr Anyaso said IPMAN was aware that the the reported service withdrawal by members had caused “fear and panic” in the area.
According to him, the memo being circulated in the social media is not meant for members in the Zone but rather a directive to IPMAN members in the Maiduguri zone of the association.
“That directive was meant for marketers within the Maiduguri depot and not for the entire country,” he explained.
“A lot of calls have been coming to confirm even from my members, and I told them that we have our own channel of disseminating information and directives. So, once those messages do not come from those channels, they should disregard them. I am also happy that the Maiduguri chairman has equally called off the directive.”
Mr Anyaso said despite the prevailing situation, IPMAN members in the zone have not considered shutting down their services, given the sufferings of the masses whenever such a thing occurs.
The IPMAN chairman, however, described as “unfair” the threats by the NNPC and the State Security Services to regulate prices of petrol at a time members were still sourcing the product from different tank farm owners, who he claimed “sell at exorbitant rates to them.
IPMAN members, he continued, were willing to dispense at a lower price once the NNPC makes the product available to the marketers at the government-approved cost.
He urged citizens in the zone not to panic as there was no plan to cripple the already precarious situation the people have been passing through.
“This whole thing is about distribution channel, You know NNPC and DSS are saying that they are going to enforce 195 per liter, when they have not even given us the product,” he complained.
“How can you enforce what you have not given to the marketers? So that is the real situation but actually the call for closure of petroleum stations does not have any bearing on Enugu depot unit,”” he said.
On the allegations and concerns by the people over meter manipulation, Mr Anyaso said the association has always cautioned its members against indulging in any sharp practice, such as would amount to shortchanging the unsuspecting public.
The Enugu depot Chairman advised IPMAN members to always check to confirm their meters before dispensing in the morning and before closure as the machines could sometimes malfunction without the operators being aware.
IPMAN, Enugu Depot, covers Enugu, Anambra” Part of Ebonyi , Abia, Imo, Kogi, Cross Rivers, and Abia states.
Reporting by Uche Ndeke; Editing by Abdullahi Lamino and Tony Okerafor