By Felix Kuyinu
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has appealed to the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation ( NNPC), to make kerosene supply available at Ejigbo depot in order to reduce its unavailability and price hike suffered by the masses.
The Chairman of IPMAN, Western zone, Alhaji Debo Ahmed, while making the appeal stated that marketers operating at the depot are yet to receive kerosene product for a long period due to distribution challenges.
Ahmed said that the product which remains the best bet of the common Nigerians to be used during the fasting period would go a long way to address the hardship.
According to him, independent marketers will ensure efficient distribution of the product in all retail outlets in Ejigbo if made available at the depot to prevent scarcity.
He said that only few service stations and private depots had kerosene at a very high price to the final consumers.
“NNPC has not supplied depots with kerosene for a long time. We are appealing to them to please give us kerosene so that we can also distribute the product.
“NNPC should give us kerosene so that the supply chain could be consistent, since this product is used in almost every home.
“We are saying that if NNPC imports, it should give the kerosene to all those running retail outlets, major marketers, independent marketers and depot owners, so that we could distribute to the final consumers at affordable price,” he advised.
He urged the government to come to the aid of masses who could not afford the price of cooking gas by providing kerosene to the depots so that it would be available in the filling stations.
“This is not the right time for our refineries to stop kerosene production, everybody cannot depend on gas.
“The common man cannot afford the price of cylinder and cooking gas. Our mothers in the village depend on kerosene, an essential household commodity to cook.
“Government should not just sit down watching the masses suffering, they should address the issue and make the product available,” he said.
Ahmed concluded by reiterating the need for further rehabilitation of the Depot in order to give room for more effective work by the marketers.
