OpeOluwani Akintayo
23 May 2018, Sweetcrude, Lagos — The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, has appealed to the Nigerian national Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, to increase supply of kerosene to depots in the Western region during the Ramadan.
In a statement in Lagos, Alhaji Debo Ahmed, the Chairman, IPMAN western zone said, an increase in supply of the product will reduce suffering of the masses during the fasting period.
According to him, siting distribution challenges, marketers operating from the western depots, Mosinmi, Ejigbo, Ilorin, Ore and Ibadan have had no access to kerosene for a long period.
He explained that the product remains the best option of the common Nigerians to be used during Ramadan, adding that it would go a long way to address their hardship if made available at depot for marketers.
Independent marketers will ensure efficient distribution of the product in all retails outlets across the south-west region if made available at the depots to prevent scarcity, he said.
Ahmed said that only few service stations and private depots had kerosene at a very high price to the final consumers.
“NNPC has not supply depots with kerosene supply for long time. We are appealing to them to please give us kerosene so that we could also distribute the product.
“NNPC should give us kerosene so that the supply chain could be consistent, since this product is used in almost every home.
“We are saying that if NNPC imports it should give the kerosene to all those running retail outlets, major marketers, independent marketers and depot owners, so that we could distribute to the final consumers at affordable price,” Ahmed advised.
He urged the government to come to the aid of masses who could not afford the price of cooking gas by providing kerosene to the depots so that it would be available in the filling stations.
“This is not the right time for our refineries to stop kerosene production, everybody cannot depend on gas.
“The common man cannot afford the price of cylinder and cooking gas. Our mothers in the village depend on kerosene, an essential household commodity to cook.
“Government should not just sit down watching the masses suffering, they should address the issue and make the product available,” he said.
