Amid Fuel Scarcity, 9,000 Marketers May Lose Licenses, Seek FG’s Intervention

Amid Fuel Scarcity, 9,000 Marketers May Lose Licenses, Seek FG’s Intervention

As fuel scarcity persists, over 9,000 oil marketers face the looming threat of losing their operating licenses unless the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) extends the current deadline for license renewals……READ ALSO IPMAN Reveals Nigerian State Not Affected By Fuel Scarcity

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) urgently appeals to the NNPCL and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to postpone the licensing deadline to July and release 9,000 already processed licenses.

In a press release signed by IPMAN’s National Public Relations Officer, Chief Chinedu Ukadike, the association underscores the challenges marketers encounter in renewing licenses due to the NMDPRA’s sluggish processing pace, as previously lamented in a statement last Sunday.

Originally, the NNPCL set April 15, 2024, as the deadline for marketers to renew their licenses. Non-compliance would prevent marketers from accessing their customer express portals for purchasing petroleum products from NNPC Retail Limited.

IPMAN’s plea for an extension aims to forestall further disruptions in fuel supply and alleviate panic buying amid the ongoing scarcity. The association urges the NMDPRA and NNPC Retail Limited to release the processed licenses and extend the deadline for delisting marketers from their express portals.

In a subsequent telephone interview with Punch Newspaper, Chief Ukadike underscores the urgency of their request, emphasizing the need for an extension to prevent marketers from being unjustly shut out of the portal.

Responding to IPMAN’s plea, NMDPRA South-West Regional Coordinator, Ayo Cardoso, assures that the regulatory authority will consider the request.

Meanwhile, IPMAN has threatened to shut down 30,000 stations operated by its members nationwide if the Federal Government fails to address the N200 billion debt owed to marketers. This issue is compounded by delayed payments of bridging claims since September 2022, as disclosed in a recent communique issued by Yahaya Alhassan, Chairman of IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum.

The fuel crisis persists, severely affecting daily life, with reports of commercial drivers in Abeokuta, Ogun State, vigilantly queuing at fuel stations to secure scarce Premium Motor Spirit (petrol).

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