A seven-working-day deadline has been set by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Depot Chairmen Forum for the federal government to resolve unresolved bridging claims worth more than N100 billion.
The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) will stop loading and distributing petroleum products nationwide if the payment is not made within the allotted time, according to a statement released Monday in Abuja by the forum’s chairman, Alhaji Yahaya Alhassan.
He declared, “We would stop providing our services nationwide if NMDPRA does not pay us within seven working days. Additionally, we will stop loading and unloading tanks and lock all of our stations around the country at the same moment.
Despite the fact that a year has gone by since the first demand, Alhassan was frustrated that the NMDPRA has still not responded to the payment request.
On the eve of the most recent strike action announced by the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO), he recalled that the NMDPRA had committed to paying the debt in connection with the claims’ non-payment during a stakeholders’ meeting.
“We are very angry that a year after our last demand, which asked the NMDPRA management to pay our members over N100 billion owed in bridging and NTA claims, they have purposefully disregarded our request, despite their explicit promises to do so,” Alhassan underlined.
At the stakeholders’ meeting held on the eve of the most recent strike action announced by NARTO, the NMDPRA made one of those pledges, he continued. This IPMAN bridging claims were one of the demands made by the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO) at that meeting before the strike action was canceled.
In addition, he stated that the National Security Advisor, Mal. Nuhu Ribadu, and the DG of the DSS, Mr. Adeola Ajayi, watched as the NMDPRA pledged to balance the bridging claims within 40 days.
However, 40 days have stretched into months, and there is still no guarantee of payment, Alhassan bemoaned.
Because of this outstanding debt, he said, the nine Northern depots—Jos, Gusau, Minna, Suleja, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Yola, and Maiduguri depots—have been grounded entirely.
“For the avoidance of doubt, it is important to restate that the debt owed to us is money belonging to marketers, which was deducted from us at the point of payment for products in order to settle our bridging allowances,” according to his repeated statement.
The forum’s chairman also voiced concern about the ongoing bad effects, which include the deaths of some of its members, business closures, employee layoffs, and commercial banks seizing business spaces because the NMDPRA won’t pay the required amount.
“The NMDPRA’s imposition of various abnormal levies on members is another urgent issue,” Alhassan said. He pointed out that the most worrisome aspect was the 5% commission that was placed on the selling of gas stations.
He asked, “When did the NMDPRA turn into real estate brokers, earning a cut of retail gas station sales? We, as IPMAN members, go above and above to update our stores to adhere to global best practices because the downstream retail sector is always changing. Nevertheless, the NMDPRA has made this more challenging by levying strange fees on us each time we renovate.
Alhassan went on, “These are only a handful of the numerous upsetting charges they have placed on us. We are requesting their immediate suspension because they are not only unconstitutional but also anti-developmental.
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He continued, “As a group of law-abiding Nigerians, we think we have given the NMDPRA adequate time to settle the bridging claims and pay us what we owe. Due to their persistent rejection, however, we have chosen to work with our sister groups, PTD and NARTO, to take collective action when the time is right.
In addition, a sizable portion of the PTD’s petroleum tankers are owned by IPMAN members, Alhassan noted. In order to demand that bridging and NTA claims be paid immediately, he issued a warning that they might have to stop using their tankers to load petroleum products.
In the current conflict between the NMDPRA and the Depot Chairmen of IPMAN, he urged the federal government, under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu, to fully step in.
Starting today, Monday, February 24, 2025, Alhassan threatened, “If our demands are not met, we will not hesitate to take immediate action in due course.”
While they wait for the NMDPRA to address their concerns, he advised members nationwide to be firm and follow the law.
