The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on Tuesday in Sokoto called on the Federal Government to settle the N40 billion debt it owed the association.
It said the debt arose from haulage of petroleum products to Sokoto, Kebbi, Zamfara and parts of Katsina states by its members.
Alhaji Surajo Yahaya-Kamba, IPMAN Branch Chairman at Gusau Depot, who supervises operations in the states, made the call at the end of a meeting of members. He said the agreement signed between the association and the Federal Government was for the latter to pay fuel haulage claims on weekly-basis.
“It has been 11 months now that the Federal Government has not paid our members. This money is not subsidy claim. “It is the cost of our individual contributions to fuel distribution based on agreement entered with the government.
“The marketers contribute certain percentage and the importers also made their own contribution to the haulage charges; we wonder why government will not pay our money,’’ he said.
Yahaya-Kamba noted that many of the haulage firms would soon go out of business if payment of the debts lingered further.
The meeting was attended by IPMAN members and members of the National Association of Road Transport Owners from the four states.
Meanwhile, the new Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd (NNPC Ltd.) will be unveiled by President Muhammadu Buhari on July 18, 2022.
The Chief Executive Officer of the company, Mallam Mele Kyari, disclosed this yesterday in Abuja, while receiving the CEO of the Year 2021 Award of the Leadership Newspapers Group.
The Leadership Annual Conference and Awards also saw Vice President Prof. Yemi Osinbajo and World Trade Organisation (WTO) Director-General, Dr Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala receive the Leadership Person of the Year Awards.
Speaking virtually from Luanda, Angola where he is attending the meeting of African Petroleum Conference (CAPDE VIII), Kyari expressed “profound appreciation for the award.
He commended the Leadership Newspapers Group for recognising his efforts of the NNPC, stressing that such recognition was a challenge to do more. The new Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, restructured and empowered the NNPC as a new entity.