Fuel Supply Woes: 9,000 Marketers Face License Revocation, Seek Government Intervention
As Nigerians grapple with fuel scarcity, more than 9,000 oil marketers are at risk of losing their operational licenses, prompting appeals to the Federal Government for intervention.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) is urging the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to extend the deadline for licensing renewal to July and requesting the release of 9,000 already processed licenses by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Regulatory Authority.
In a statement released by Chief Chinedu Ukadike, the National Public Relations Officer, IPMAN emphasized the need for an extension, citing concerns about the slow pace of license renewal by the NMDPRA.
The NNPCL had set a deadline of April 15, 2024, for marketers to renew their licenses, warning of closure to access customer express portals for petroleum product purchases from NNPC Retail Limited.
IPMAN’s plea for an extension aims to facilitate license reconciliation and alleviate panic buying exacerbating the current fuel scarcity.
Ukadike clarified the association’s position, stating, “The release is to appeal to the NNPCL and NMPDRA to please extend the final deadline to July so that it would enable them to reconcile the licenses so that they will not be unduly shut out of the portal, and that is IPMAN’s appeal.”
In response to the marketers’ plea, Ayo Cardoso, the NMDPRA South-West Regional Coordinator, assured that the authority would review the request and take appropriate action.
Meanwhile, amidst the ongoing fuel crisis, IPMAN issued a warning on Tuesday, threatening to close down the 30,000 stations operated by its members nationwide if the Federal Government failed to settle the N200 billion owed to marketers. This debt, accruing since September 2022, remains unresolved, particularly regarding marketers’ bridging claims.
As fuel scarcity persists, commercial drivers in Abeokuta, the capital of Ogun State, have resorted to vigilance at fuel stations in their efforts to procure the scarce Premium Motor Spirit.
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