*Threatens “massive” staff lay-off
OpeOluwani Akintayo
21 February 2018, Sweetcrude, Lagos — The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria, DAPPMAN, has issued a 14-day ultimatum to the Federal Government to pay off outstanding fuel subsidy debts owed petroleum marketers otherwise, risk a “massive” sack of workers under its employment.
In a letter to Minister of States Petroleum Resources, Ibe Kachikwu, dated 20th February, and signed by the group’s Executive Secretary, Olufemi A. Adewole, the group said its latest move to lay off staff stemmed from threats by banks to take over investments of its members due to unpaid loans.
“Sir, Subsequent to our letter ref: DS/ES/Presidency/16 dated 24th Jan 2018 and copied to you (as attached), we again observe a lack of response, on the part of the Federal Government, to the plight of petroleum marketers, many of which have become financially insolvent”.
“We are continually under pressure by, our banks/AMCON, with looming threats of imminent take-over of our petrol stations & Tank Farms and other creditor labour unions, NARTO/PTD to whom we are substantially indebted due to past freight services”.
In the light of the foregoing, DAPPMAN said its members do not have “any other option” open to them to forestall increasing debt burdens of borrowing to pay staff, other than to immediately commence “massive staff disengagement” as earlier forewarned in its letter of 24th January 2018.
In the letter dated January 24, copying office of the Vice President, Senate, House of Representatives and ten others, the group said it had “exhausting all formal avenues” to secure payment of these debts, including alerting the Federal Government through a 21-day notice to the likelihood of disengaging personnel which it described as “a last resort” to curtail spiralling borrowings and interests in the effort to meet salary obligations to underutilised personnel.
“The unfortunate primary fallout of this step is the likely shut down of all DAPPMAN depots nationwide due to lack of manpower to operate same pending the time the Federal Government will pay off its indebtedness to petroleum marketers”, the statement read.
“This, unfortunately, will have a multiplier effect on the nationwide supply and distribution of petroleum products which presently is still a struggle”.
DAPPMAN added that the letter was a fresh 14-day reminder from Tuesday, February 20, and an opportunity for the Federal Government tiers and its agencies to speedily approve and pay off its remaining subsidy era indebtedness to all its members, including all petroleum marketing companies.
