…Says Don’t See Us As Enemies But Businessmen
Lucky Obukohwo Reporting
The chairman, Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Edo State chapter, Baba Saliu, has given from now till weekend to fuel dealers to sell off their old stock and return pump price to N300 or N350 respectively.
He said this in Benin while reacting to the current hardship faced by the citizens of the state as results of the astronomical hike in the prices of fuel.
Saliu said he has met with the state governor to see how the association and the state government can wade in and cushion the negative impact the increment has had on the people.
The IPMAN chairman said that those who are selling at a very high rate at the moment will be given from now till weekend to sell off what they have and after which, they have to comply with the new directive from IPMAN or stop loading fuel.
“Yesterday, we had an emergency meeting with the Edo State government and the security agencies to discuss way forward about the scarcity of petroleum.
“Based on the discussion, we called an emergency meeting with IPMAN to know how we can cushion the effects of the citizens.
“In the meeting, we have agreed because they told us that the ones they have now, they bought for N450, N480, N440.
“But we have agreed and I have told them that I have communicated with the relevant authorities that we have given them (dealers) up to weekend to finish the stock they have and any person that cannot sell between N300 to N350 should henceforth not buy as from on Monday.
“So as from on Monday, if any of our members is selling, no one will sell above N300 and N350.
“And we have communicated with the government and we will review on Wednesday let us see the compliance and see how we can bring it down more to achieve the N190 as approved by the government because the high price is because of scarcity and the cost of getting it from other states but let us see what we can do from N300, N350.
” We should be able, may be by next week or few weeks time, we should be able to bring it down so that by the special grace of God in no distance time, we should be able to achieve the N190 as approved by the government”, Saliu said.
He called on Nigerians to bear with them as they are not the cause of the hike in the price but it was due to scarcity of the product just as he called on Nigerians not to see them as enemies but business men.
“I will appeal to all Edo people, I will appeal to all the areas that get product from us, we are not the cause of the scarcity.
“It has to do with availability. When the product is not available, the cost of delivery and other things go up.
“We try to see how we can make things easy for the masses.
“They should not look at us as enemies. We are not enemies. We are business people and we don’t want to make it over difficult for them.
“We know some of our members get money from banks and financial houses to do this business.
“Even as it may, we make sure that our prices have a human face. They should please bear with us”, Saliu appealed to Nigerians.