A fresh wave of fuel scarcity may soon hit Nigeria as the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has issued a stern seven-day ultimatum to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), demanding the payment of over N100 billion in unpaid bridging claims.
If the government fails to meet this demand, the association has vowed to withdraw its services nationwide; a move that could cripple fuel distribution and worsen the already fragile economic situation.
Bridging claims cover the cost of transporting fuel from depots to different parts of the country to ensure uniform pump prices. Despite promises made 40 days ago in the presence of the National Security Adviser, Nuhu Ribadu, the debt remains unpaid, and frustration among marketers has reached a boiling point.
Speaking at a press conference in Abuja on Monday, the Chairman of the IPMAN Depot Chairmen Forum, Yahaya Alhasan, expressed deep dissatisfaction with the NMDPRA’s failure to honor its commitments.
“We are extremely frustrated,” Alhasan said. “One year after our last demand, requesting the payment of over N100 billion owed to our members in bridging and NTA claims, the management of NMDPRA has deliberately ignored our requests. They’ve made clear promises to pay us, but nothing has changed.”
Alhasan recalled that one such promise was made during a stakeholders’ meeting convened just before the last strike action by the Nigerian Association of Road Transport Owners (NARTO). At that meeting, the issue of unpaid bridging claims was a key demand before the strike was called off.
The consequences of this lingering debt are already being felt. Fuel depots in the northern cities of Jos, Gusau, Minna, Suleja, Kaduna, Kano, Gombe, Yola, and Maiduguri have become completely grounded, making fuel distribution increasingly difficult.
But the impact goes beyond logistics. The prolonged non-payment has devastated the lives and businesses of IPMAN members. Alhasan painted a grim picture of business closures, staff retrenchments, and even the loss of lives. Many marketers are on the brink of financial collapse, with commercial banks seizing business premises due to mounting debts.
“This isn’t government money,” Alhasan stressed. “These are funds deducted from payments made by our members to settle bridging allowances. It’s unjust and unsustainable.”
IPMAN also criticized the five percent levy imposed by the NMDPRA on the sale of petrol stations, calling it unconstitutional and anti-developmental.
Efforts to get a response from the NMDPRA were unsuccessful, as the authority’s spokesperson, George Ene-Ita, did not respond to multiple phone calls.
As the seven-day deadline draws closer, the nation watches anxiously. If this crisis isn’t resolved, the ripple effect could be catastrophic, leading to fuel scarcity, rising transportation costs, and increased hardship for millions of Nigerians.
