The spokesman and the Financial Secretary of IPMAN, Alhaji Abdulkadir Mustapha addressing a press conference on Monday at IPMAN office in Maiduguri.
By SADIQ ABUBAKAR, Maiduguri –
Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in the nineteen northern states including Federal Capital Territory (FCT) on Monday announced the commencement of 3-day withdrawal of services as warning strike by their members.
It also declared the withdrawal of their long heavy duty vehicles from the nine depots in the nineteen Northern States of the country following failure of the Nigerian Mainstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to settle their over N70 billion outstanding bridging claims despite all pleas and lobbies
The spokesman of the association, who is also the Financial Secretary of IPMAN, Alhaji Abdulkadir Mustapha at a press conference held at the IPMAN Maiduguri office, said,” we the members of IPMAN wish to clarify the air on our resolution to embark on 3 days withdrawal of services, as a warning strike action. “
” For years, we have been following up the matter and lobbying the management of the Nigerian Mainstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) regarding our unsettled bridging claims button avail.”
He however disclosed that a little payment was made less than 5% of the total debts owed by the authority , adding that, the worst of it all, is that no payment was made for the year 2022 while claims for 2019, 3020 and 2921 are still unpaid.
” Though, some few payments has been made which is lesser than 5% of our claims but greater part of the claims had not been settled. More so, no payment had been made with regard to this year’s claims and a lot of year 2019,/2021 still remain unpaid.
” Only N2 billion was paid to us in March 2022 during our meeting with the authority when our claims stood at about N50 billion. And from March 2022 when we held the meeting to date , the authority is owing us over N20 billion. Totalling over N70 billion where only N2 billion was paid to us despite all our efforts and plead,” Mustapha said.
The spokesman added that the situation was causing untold hardships on the teeming members of the association which informed the decision of the forum at a meeting held on 17th August, 2022 at the Porto Gulf Hotel, Kano Kano State to withdraw out services at the NNPC Depot’s for three days as stated above.
He further urged the NMDPRA as a matter of urgency to pay all the unsettled claims and also warned that henceforth, all products lifted must be settled or paid within the stipulated period of one month (30 days) as earlier agreed .
The forum cautioned that,” failure to do so, will lead to indefinite suspension of our services in all the nine (9) NNPC Depot’s and filling stations in the 19 Northern States or region including FCT Abuja”.
While noting that, the purpose of the IPMAN north forum is not to suffer or create hardships to the people but impress on the NMDPRA to settle their claims.
He explained also that,” if the authority will not meet up with the national body demands, we will call for another meeting to decide the next appropriate line of action to be taken by the association which all it’s members must comply even it will lead to total closure of all filling stations across the 19 northern states.
