Marketers protest fuel hike, Threatens to go on stike

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria,  has on Monday, threatened to withdraw its service over incessant increment on the price of the premium motor spirit popularly known as petrol in the Eastern part of the country.

In a statement released on Monday, the marketers blamed private depots for the unjust hike in price of the PMS.

According to them, they were buying from depots at the rate of N185 per liter, noting that after adding other expenses, the price would eventually increase to N200 per litre.

While lamenting that their businesses could not thrive considering the high cost of diesel to power the station and the exploitation from private tank depot owners and NUPENG.

They also sought the intervention of the Nigerian Labour Congress in appealing to NUPENG to reduce the loading fee.

The statement added, ”It is no longer news that premium motor spirit, known as petrol, is sold at N200 per litre in the Eastern part of Nigeria, including Portharcourt, Enugu, Owerri, Awka, Uyo, Cross River, Aba, Yenagoa, Makurdi, Lokoja. The real cause of hike in price is the incessant increment in price of premium spirit from private depot owners. A litre of fuel is being sold to us at the rate of N185 per litre.

“When you add transport and logistics including the exploitation by NUPENG in the name of union fee, which is over N120,000 per truck, the price will be more than N200 per liter. Even at N200 per litre, considering the high cost of diesel to power the station and the exploitation from private tank depot owners and NUPENG, our business cannot thrive. Our various associations have met, and we have resolved to withdraw our services.

“Hence, we cannot cope with the harsh environment of doing business, caused by private depot owners and NUPENG. We’re calling on the federal government to revive our various NNPC depots within the Eastern zone to enable us to get premium motor spirit at a regulated price. We are also calling on the Nigeria Labour Congress and the management of NNPC to please appeal to the leadership of NUPENG to lessen our burden by reducing the loading fee.”

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Meanwhile, the Federal Government has said the plethora of economic challenges facing the country, has not deterred President Muhammad Buhari from putting smiles on the faces of the poor and vulnerable Nigerians, saying the Buhari administration has liberated more Nigerians from poverty and it’s still on track to lift 100 million Nigerians out of poverty by the end of his administration in 2023.

Speaking yesterday at Jalingo, Taraba State capital, Permanent Secretary of the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs, Disaster Management and Social Development, Dr. Nasir Sani-Gwarzo, at the launching of the Government Enterprise and Empowerment Programme, GEEP 2.0.

In his words,  “Since the inception of President Muhammadu Buhari’s led Administration in 2015, when it inherited a National Poverty Incidence level averaging 70 percent going by National Bureau of Statistics, NBS, the Federal Government has paid more attention in generating solutions to address the plight of the poor and vulnerable in the country despite other economic challenges the Administration inherited at the time.

“This informed the decision to initiate the National Social Investment Programme, NSIP, in 2015 as a strategy for poverty reduction and enhancing social inclusion among our people especially the women and disabled in rural areas.

“This NSIP has been acclaimed by many to be the largest and most ambitious social protection programme in Africa, and it is currently attracting many partnerships including even from international development partners.”