The Nigerian
National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), the sole importer of petroleum products,
has accused the Depot and Petroleum Marketers Association (DAPPMA) of
hoarding
Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) or petrol and having a debt of N26.7 billion as the
reasons for the lingering nationwide scarcity.
The
corporation also said there are no plans to increase the pump price of
fuel.
The
corporation's position was made known in a statement signed by Mr. Ndu
Ughamadu, Group General Manager, Group Public Affairs Division of the
NNPC.
The
corporation described as unfortunate a statement issued by DAPPMA in which the
association blamed the NNPC for the shortage.
"NNPC
wishes to affirm that it has supplied appreciable volume to DAPPMA, Major
Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) and Independent Petroleum Marketers
Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to rid the challenges currently being
experienced in the supply and distribution of petroleum products in the
country."
"NNPC
regrets that DAPPMA, which members had taken receipts of products from
Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC), a subsidiary of NNPC, and owe the
company to the tune of N26.7billion as at December 21, 2017, has the audacity
to indict NNPC unjustifiably," the statement said.
The
corporation added that DAPPMA's claim that the current hitches in product
supply are occasioned by the inability of NNPC's Direct Sale Direct Purchase
(DSDP) partners to deliver on their business obligations is unfounded and
self-indicting, as many of DAPPMA members patronize the DSDP international
counterparts.
It added
that despite the concession by the federal government to DAPPMA to obtain
foreign exchange at an official rate of N305 per dollar for PMS import, DAPPMA
members have not been able to fulfil their obligations, leaving NNPC as the
sole supplier of PMS to the Nigerian market.
The NNPC
assured Nigerians that despite the increase it effected in the supply of PMS
this month, it will supply 1.2billion litres of the white products in January.
This is about 40million litres per day. The country, added the NNPC, consumes
between 27 million to 30 million litres per day.
It further
stated that despite the current challenges, there are no plans to increase PMS
pump price above N145/litre. The corporation stated that it will continue to
maintain the ex-depot price of N133.28/litre, which guarantees that the pump
price does not exceed the N145 per litre cap prescribed by the government.
"All
stakeholders are implored to support the efforts of the government to bring a
speedy end to the current fuel distribution challenges being experienced in
parts of the country, as this is not the time to play the blame game," the
NNPC said.
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