The President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Abubakar Garima, has expressed shock over business mogul, Aliko Dangote’s allegation that marketers were boycotting his refinery.
Dangote, the owner of a $20bn refinery had claimed that oil marketers in Nigeria have been avoiding his refinery for imported petrol.
He had lamented that such a move would impact negatively on the country’s economy and would discourage local investment.
Responding, however, IPMAN President said the allegations were false.
According to Garima, while speaking on a live telephone programme monitored by Investors King on Wednesday, IPMAN members are not importing petrol.
On the contrary, he disclosed that oil members can’t load petrol from the Dangote Refinery in Lagos despite having paid ₦40billion to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL).
He said rather than get Dangote petrol through the NNPCL, the private refinery should register independent petrol marketers directly for smooth loading of the product.
The IPMAN boss noted that if Dangote could be able to sell the product to oil marketers directly, they can buy the product.
He expressed frustration in the fact that marketers had to pay before they pick, adding that “Presently, we have ₦40bn under the NNPCL custody but we cannot source the product.”
Garima explained how some marketers that NNPCL sent to load in Dangote refinery stayed with their trucks for four days, and they cannot load.