Fresh fuel scarcity is looming in northern states of Nigeria including Abuja, Kaduna, Nasarawa, Kogi, Niger, and neighbouring states as independent marketers, Yesterday, announced a three-day warning strike over non-payment of outstanding fuel transportation costs, otherwise referred to as bridging claims. The Chairman of IPMAN, Suleja Depot Branch of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Yahaya Alhassan said marketers had stopped the supply of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from the depot, as the union had prevented trucks from moving product to the northern states. According to Alhassan said marketers were withdrawing their services until the Federal Government settled their outstanding bridging claims of N50.5bn. “The Petroleum Equalisation Fund has not paid our money. We have N50.5bn (to be paid by PEF) and because of that we are withdrawing our services,” he said.
Alhassan added that the three-day warning strike would continue if the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority fail to remit the said money.
“At the expiration of the warning strike on Wednesday, if they (NMDPRA) fail to pay us, the stoppage of supply would continue indefinitely,” Alhassan added.
He also said all appeals made by the association to the authority to pay the debt fell on deaf ears.
Meanwhile, in Kano, the Northern Independent Petroleum Marketers Forum (NIPMF) shut down the depot of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC), obstructing the movement of tankers.
NIPMF chairman, Musa Yahaya Maikifi, said members would withdraw their services across nine depots in 19 northern states while the strike lasts.
He insisted the members would not hesitate to withdraw their services indefinitely if the government fails to offset over N500 billion in outstanding payment.
The Federal Government had, in February 2022, claimed N22.7 billion was paid to the marketers. Maikifi, however, denied this, saying the last installment received from NMDPRA was in December 2021.
“As I speak with you, we have shut down all the nine depots in the northern part of the country. I’m talking about Suleja, Minna, Jos, Yola, Gombe, Maiduguri, Kaduna, Gusau, and of course, here in Kano. We are stopping operations at the depots and withdrawing our service," Maikifi said.
“Our concern mainly is the total negligence of the government in settling our bridging claims, running into N500 billion daily, and still counting. Our members are almost running on bank liability. We are spending not less than one million Naira on diesel to fuel trucks that would transport petroleum products from Lagos to Kano.”
“Bad roads, security risks, high cost of spare parts and cost of running a business are overwhelming due to bad economy. Members have not received their claims in the last nine months, and this is telling seriously about our investment. We will sacrifice for three days and will not hesitate towards a full-blown strike if the government continues to neglect our claims,” Maikifi added.
