By Yusuf Boluwatife
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Kano Division has informed the Federal Government over the looming fuel crisis in the country following the decision by some private depot owners to hoard and unilaterally raise the prices of the product.
This was contained in a statement by the IPMAN Chairman Kano Chapter, Alhaji Bashir Danmallam, on Friday.
The statement read in part, “Some of the private depot owners had increased the price of the commodity from N148 per litre to between N153 and N155 per litre since Friday last week.
“The association found it necessary to alert the government in order not to blame its members if they increase the price of the commodity as they would not operate at loss.
“Some private depot owners are trying to sabotage the Federal Government by unilaterally increasing their prices even though the government has not raised the fuel pump price.
“We are equally calling on the Management of the NNPC to investigate the issue as some of the private depot owners have since Friday last week increased the price from N148 per litre to between N153 and N155 per litre. We know it’s only the Federal Government that imports fuel into the country.
“As I am talking to you private depot owners in Warri, Calabar Lagos and Oghara in Delta State have increased their prices. We hope the management of the NNPC will investigate and intervene.”
He said the association would not fold its arms and allow such unpatriotic private depot owners to engage in unnecessary price increase while the public is always accusing their members of flagrant increase in fuel prices.
He also accused the private depot owners of wanting to maximize profit at all cost as it the end of the year already.
