Trouble is brewing between Capital Oil and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN). The Association has appealed to Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to stop sending products meant for its members to Capital Oil and Gas Limited tank depot.
IPMAN President, Chinedu Okoronkwo made the appeal in Abuja, saying more than two billion naira of its members’ tickets was locked in Capital Oil who could not access their products. “We are now asking questions because the agreement of 60 per cent of all allocations of Premium Motor Spirit to be distributed and discharged by Capital Oil and Gas Nigeria Limited have ended with the tenure of the past president,” he said .
Okoronkwo alleged that the owner of Capital Oil, Ifeanyi Uba, was collaborating with a member of the association to destabilise the group. According to him, IPMAN members in Lagos who have paid to NNPC to access products from Capital Oil have not been able to get supplies. He attributed the current scarcity in the product nationwide to the inability of IPMAN members to lift products from Capital Oil. “We do not know why he should get involved in IPMAN matter. Now, our entire product is stored there, we are telling NNPC to use other depots to send products to our members. This is not acceptable to us, we are telling the government as a listening administration ready to solve problems, we are alerting them to check the activities of Capital Oil,” Okoronkwo said.
He said that the association had officially written to NNPC and President Muhammadu Buhari on the issue.
Corroborating Okonkwo’s position, the Chairman of IPMAN, Western Zone, Debo Ahmed said that presently 700 tickets worth over two billion naira of product of IPMAN members had been with Capital Oil. He said that for eight weeks, Capital Oil had refused to supply NNPC products to IPMAN members in the western region.
Meanwhile, NNPC Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division, Ohi Alegbe said the organisation would not be involved in the internal affairs of IPMAN and urged the association to resolve its crisis.
By Pita Ochai
[divider]