PUNCH
Petrol consumers have continued to groan under the burden of skyrocketing prices, as Premium Motor Spirit almost hit N400 per litre over the weekend.
The PUNCH market survey over the weekend showed while stations belonging to the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria were selling products at around N190 per litre, stations belonging to members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria jerked up prices to between N320 and N340 per litre.
National Controller, Operations, IPMAN, Mike Osatuyi, told The PUNCH on Sunday that price was unlikely to hit N400 per litre.
According to him, his members now buy products at N280/litre at depots.
President Buhari had last week set up a 14-man committee that he would be heading to proffer solutions to the lingering fuel scarcity.
Osatuyi disclosed that the committee would be inaugurated this week.
“With the way the president has set up the committee, Nigerians should expect something good. The committee will work with operators and stakeholders and they will call us for meetings, where we will tell them what to do.
“If NNPC gives us products directly and we don’t have to pass through third parties, prices will crash. IPMAN members account for 80 per cent of products in the market. So, why won’t they give us products directly? Where MOMAN stations can’t get to, our members are there! As of the weekend, we bought the product for N280 per litre before we now add transportation on it depending on the distance. So, we will sell at any price.
“You can quote me on this. NNPC is subsidising their pockets and not Nigerians. The subsidy they claim is in their pockets,” he said.
Osatuyi alleged that the state oil firm had started to avoid talks with oil marketers, and had since abandoned them to their fate.
According to him, NNPCL had failed Nigerians as the firm was completely void of solution to the scarcity, adding that the new Managing Director of the NNPCL Retail, Hubbs Stockman had not agreed to meet with them recently to proffer a solution to the petrol crisis.
He claimed the President would not have set up a steering committee if the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited had not failed in its responsibility to address the fuel scarcity.
