The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has stated that its marketers are ready to buy petroleum products from Dangote Refinery, News About Nigeria reports.
IPMAN President Abubakar Garima stated this while speaking on Channels Television’s Sunrise Daily program on Wednesday.
He noted that the claim that his members are importing fuel is false.
Garima expressed surprise that the owner of the $20 billion refinery, Aliko Dangote, said marketers were boycotting his refinery to buy imported petrol.
He, however, stated that rather than get Dangote petrol through the NNPCL, the private refinery should register independent petrol marketers directly for smooth loading of the product.
According to him, its members can’t load petrol from the Dangote Refinery in Lagos despite having paid ₦40 billion to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
He stated, “We have over 40 billion naira in outstanding debt with the NNPCL. I was surprised when Dangote said he has over 500 million litres of PMS. We are ready to buy the product from Dangote if he is ready to sell it to us directly.
“If he (Dangote) can be able to sell the product to us directly, we can buy the product because we have to pay before we pick. Presently, we have ₦40bn under the NNPCL custody, but we cannot source the product.
“Just of recent, there are some of my marketers that NNPCL sent to load in Dangote refinery, and those marketers stayed with their trucks for four days, and they cannot load.”
Recall that in a meeting with President Bola Tinubu in Abuja, Aliko Dangote told reporters that he has over 500 million litres in tanks at his mammoth refinery but marketers are not patronising his facility.
