Motorists who woke up today hoping to buy fuel at a reduced price across the country were disappointed, as marketers ignored an earlier directive by Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), to cut the official price of N145 to N140 per litre.
The controversial directive was announced on Sunday by Chinedu Okoronkwo, national president of IPMAN, represented by Bashir Tahir, Northwest zonal chairman of the association in Kano. IPMAN controls 80 percent of petroleum marketing in the country with membership cutting across the 36 states and Abuja.
According to Tahir, the association directed that the implementation of the directive should take effective from Wednesday (today). IPMAN issued the directive as part of the efforts to ease movement of Nigerians towards the success of the Presidential and National Assembly Elections billed for Saturday, February 23.
Buts checks in Lagos showed product marketers maintaining the official pump price of N145 per litre.
Marketers who spoke with our correspondents in different parts of Lagos metropolis queried the powers of IPMAN to slash pump price of fuel. They noted that such directive was not binding on any marketer, as they were not in business to make a loss.
Filling stations visited also sought to know who pays for the difference between N145 official price and N140 directed by IPMAN.
Some station managers also claimed that they received their supply from the NNPC at N143 and wondered how they would turn around to sell at N140 per litre.
“This is a private business not run by an association. The association may have a good intention, but as a private business, we have our goal,” said a manager of an IPMAN affiliated station in Apapa.
JOSHUA BASSEY
