Energy

Oil marketers embark on strike in northern states over N70bn claims

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has embarked on a three-day warning strike in some northern states over the non-payment of bridging claims.

IPMAN disclosed that bridging claims amounting to N70 billion of its members have not been paid by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA).

The IPMAN spokesman in Borno State, Abdulkadir Mustapha, who disclosed this in a press briefing in Maiduguri, the state capital on Monday, said the non-payment was inflicting serious hardship on their members.

“Hence we have resolved at our meeting held in Kano state to withdraw our services at the depots for three days,” he said.

According to him, the affected northern states include Borno, Adamawa, Kano, Kaduna, Benue, Plateau, Gombe, Niger, and Sokoto, all housing the NNPC Limited depots.

Mustapha added that the failure of authorities to settle their claims would result in indefinite strike and shutting down of all filling stations in the states.

“Henceforth all products lifted must be settled or paid for within the stipulated period of 30 days as earlier agreed. Failure to do so will lead to indefinite suspension of our services in all depots and filling stations across the northern region.

“Though, some few payment had been made which is less than five per cent of our claims but greater part of the claims had not been settled. More so, no payment had been made with with regard to this year claims, and a lot of the year 2019/2021 still remain unpaid.

“For years, we have been following and lobbying the management of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) regarding our unsettled bridging claims amounting to N70 billion to no avail.

“As peace loving association, we urge the authorities to settle or pay all the unsettled claims. We cannot be lifting fuel from far South to the North without being paid.

“Our decision to go for the warning strike is to draw the attention of authorities to take action that why we didn’t shut down our outlets not to cause unnecessary hardship to the citizenry,” he stated.

He, however, called on the Federal Government to intervene by prevailing on NMDPRA to pay all their entitlements to avoid indefinite strike which will scuttle fuel circulation in the identified states.

The Star