Amid the enduring saga of fuel scarcity, a dire situation looms large for over 9,000 oil marketers at risk of losing their licenses. The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) is fervently imploring the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) to extend the deadline for licensing renewal until July.
IPMAN’s plea, articulated by their National Public Relations Officer, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, underscores the urgency of the matter. With the deadline set for April 15, 2024, IPMAN warns of the impending closure of access to customer express portals for petroleum product procurement from NNPC Retail Limited.
The heart of IPMAN’s entreaty lies in the need for a grace period to reconcile licenses, thereby alleviating the panic buying exacerbating the current fuel scarcity gripping the nation.
“The release is to appeal to the NNPCL and NMDPRA to please extend the final deadline to July so that it would enable them to reconcile the licences so that they will not be unduly shut out off the portal and that is IPMAN’s appeal,” clarified Ukadike in a phone interview.
In response, the NMDPRA South-West Regional Coordinator, Ayo Cardoso, assured that the request would be considered, offering a glimmer of hope amidst the prevailing uncertainty.
The backdrop of this plea is a broader context of fuel woes. IPMAN had previously warned of shuttering its 30,000 stations nationwide if the Federal Government failed to settle the outstanding N200bn owed to marketers. The deadlock, centered on the non-payment of bridging claims by the NMDPRA since September 2022, further exacerbates the industry’s turmoil.
Meanwhile, as queues persist and frustration mounts, Nigerians grapple with the grim realities of fuel scarcity. In Abeokuta, commercial drivers resort to vigilance at filling stations, while black market transactions flourish across various states, fueling concerns of income loss.
Despite government assurances of emergency supply measures, including vessel imports and distribution pledges, tangible relief remains elusive for the average citizen. With the specter of prolonged scarcity looming large, the nation braces for potential economic upheaval, underscoring the urgent need for sustainable solutions to avert a crisis of monumental proportions.