Probe extortions in petrol depots -IPMAN urges FG

From Yakubu Mustapha Minna

Some members of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Niger state have decried the extortions going on at the various private depots in the country, and called on the federal government to urgently intervene by investigating the alleged act especially against the tanker drivers.
A marketer in Niger state and Director of First El-Shaba Nigeria Limited, Alhaji Abdullahi Dan- Minna in an interview with journalists in Minna, noted that the disparity in prices of PMS between the independent marketers and major marketers who bought from the NNPC was due to the taxes.
Dan- Minna revealed that as they buy at N900 and above per liter from private depots, the major marketers buy at about N800 per liter from the Nigeria National Petroleum Company (NNPC).
He lamented that they even bought at a price higher than the amount sold by the major marketers in the country.
He noted that they have notified the leaderships of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria IPMAN Minna Unit, Zonal and the Chairman Alhaji Abubakar Dakingari but to no avail alleging conspiracy with the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) in the matter, hence causing more hardship on the citizens.
Also, the marketer accused the PTD who are their employees for collecting between N1 and N2 from each liter even before loading at the depots in Lagos and Warri respectively as they man the first gate while going to load just as they usually do during scarcity of product, adding that 45,000 litres tank cost N45,000 depends on the vehicle tank sizes.
Similarly, IPMAN representative in Lagos depots Alhaji Babangida in an interview on phone confirmed the development and lamented the challenge of PTD taxes without receipt for such payments going on unabated however called for urgent governments intervention to nip on the bud such menace.
When contacted on telephone for response, the National Deputy President of Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), Abubakar Malu, who claimed ignorance claimed of such alleged collection at depots, added that there should be investigation of those behind the such development.