Resolution Achieved: DSS Steps In To Settle NNPCL And Independent Marketers’ Fuel Price Dispute

Resolution Achieved: DSS Steps In To Settle NNPCL And Independent Marketers’ Fuel Price DisputeThe Department of State Services (DSS) has effectively mediated in the ongoing dispute between the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL) and the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), resulting in an agreement that allows oil marketers to begin lifting Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) from NNPCL depots at a reduced price.

This breakthrough followed a peace meeting convened by DSS Director General Adeola Ajayi to address IPMAN’s concerns over high costs and delayed payments, which had threatened to disrupt fuel distribution nationwide.

The meeting included representatives from the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) and NNPCL. During the discussions, it was decided that independent marketers could access products at a lower rate while also resolving the outstanding N15 billion debt owed to them by NNPCL.

The resolution comes after weeks of escalating tension, during which IPMAN revealed that NNPCL was purchasing petrol from Dangote Refinery at N898 per litre but selling it to independent marketers for N1,010 per litre in Lagos, and at even higher prices in other regions. IPMAN, which operates over 70% of the country’s filling stations, had threatened to halt operations unless the price discrepancy was rectified.

IPMAN’s national president, Abubakar Maigandi, expressed the association’s frustration, highlighting that NNPCL had withheld payments from independent marketers for more than three months while selling products at inflated prices compared to what it paid to Dangote.

However, following DSS intervention, an agreement was reached. Chinedu Ukadike, IPMAN’s National Publicity Secretary, confirmed that the meeting effectively resolved the deadlock, enabling independent marketers to begin lifting products and addressing the outstanding debt owed by NNPCL.

“We were invited by the DSS Director to mediate the issue between IPMAN and NNPCL concerning pricing and product supply from Dangote Refinery. As a result, NNPCL has agreed to lower prices and permit marketers to load products worth N15 billion immediately,” Ukadike told The PUNCH.

Additionally, the NMDPRA has agreed to issue import licenses to IPMAN, allowing the association to import fuel directly or purchase from Dangote Refinery, in line with the government’s full deregulation of the oil sector.

While NMDPRA spokesperson George Ene-Ita claimed not to be aware of the meeting or the license approvals, the agreement is viewed as a significant step toward stabilizing fuel supply and addressing longstanding issues within the sector.

For more information on this article and other related posts from Bushradiogist, please join our WhatsApp channel by clicking this link https://whatsapp.com/channel/0029VaUumOODTkK7AZL1Fw3o. For advertisement inquiries only, kindly send a message to 090 1907 0863 on WhatsApp.