The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has alleged that oil marketers have not been able to lift products from the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) hence the scarcity being experienced in some fuel stations.
It said although the NNPCL is yet to increase their prices, marketers can no longer access the company’s portal.
The IPMAN spokesperson, Chinedu Ukadike who disclosed this in Abuja, explained that because of marketers’ inability to get products, private depots with few products are already banking on the situation for profiteering.
He said: “NNPCL has not increased their prices; it still remains the same on their portal, but marketers are finding it difficult to access their portal because they are no longer approving the authority to lift from the portal.
“Like in the private Depot in Port Harcourt, marketers have been waiting for 4-5 days waiting for NNPCL to bring products so we can load and because of the little scarcity in the Depots some tank farms owners who have little products are now selling above the tenable price that is why you see that some marketers have adjusted their prices. You go to buy and the price is a little higher from what you normally used to buy, marketers will adjust the price to accommodate the changes.
“Another factor is the cost of diesel. If the price of diesel goes up, then it also affects price of petrol because we have to move product from wet areas to fry areas.”