The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), in a statement via its new national president Alhaji Debo Ahmed, has urged the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to ensure payment of outstanding bridging claims owed members of the Association.
Ahmed made the appeal during the inauguration of the new national leadership of the association in Abuja.
The new national president succeeded the immediate past President of IPMAN, Mr Habu Fari, whose tenure expired last November.
Ahmed, in his acceptance speech, also identified insecurity across the country as some of the bottlenecks being encountered by his members in lifting petroleum products from depots.
He said: “The nation is facing a magnitude of insecurity threat. As IPMAN, we need to address this issue and the effects on our business and the environment where we operate.
“Our members have billions of Naira as transport claims with the defunct Petroleum Equalisation Fund now with Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA) unattended. As a united association, we have to follow up to make sure our members are paid unconditionally.
“The new Customer Service Department in Petroleum Products Marketing (PPMC) is another bottleneck tying down members billions of Naira for product payment without supply.
“Rising cost of levies charged for outlets is escalating across the country from some federal and State Government agencies. IPMAN National is to dwell in all these extra cost to harmonise the justification if need be and so many other issues pending.”
Stakeholders in the oil and gas sector in their goodwill remarks made reference to the leadership tussle that has dogged the national Secretariat of the association in the last three years.
Those who spoke included the Presidents of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), Williams Akporeha, the Petroleum and Natural Gas Senior Staff Association of Nigeria (PENGASSAN), Festus Osifo and the President of the Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC), Ayuba Wabba.
They admonished the new leadership to crave peace among its members while pledging their support for the Ahmed led national executive.
Other members of the Debo Ahmed led new executives to run the affairs of the association for three years include, Alhaji Zarma Mustapha and Mr John Kekeocha, deputy national Chairman and National Secretary, respectively.
Others are Mr Omololu Omotaduwa, National Assistant Secretary; Chief Benjamin Omale; National Treasurer; Chief Linus Mgbakogu, National Financial Secretary and Elder Chinedu Ukadike, national publicity secretary.