Filling Stations Shut In Suleja As IPMAN Begins Strike

Fuel scarcity hit Suleja town, Niger State, on Monday as the
Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) embarked on
strike.

IPMAN alleged that the strike was a result of extortion and
demand for daily transaction records from filling stations by the
DPR officials.

However, the Head of Public Affairs of DPR, Paul Osu, in a
statement said the request of daily stocks record by the DPR was to
enable it provide accurate petroleum products consumption data for
the country and not extortion.

“We want to state for the records that request for daily stock
of products’ supplied is a statutory regulatory requirement for any
retail outlet license holder, which enables DPR to provide accurate
petroleum products consumption data for the country.

“This regulatory oversight is at no cost to the retail outlets,”
he added.

When Our correspondent went round, all the filling stations in
Suleija were under lock and key.

Also, some transporters and other fuel users lamented that the
strike took them unawares, forcing them to buy from alternative
sources.

Malam Muhammad Ali, a commercial transporter said, “I was lucky
to have a little fuel in my car so travelled to a neighbouring town
and refilled my tank.”

Another motorist, Adamu, said he bought from the black market at
a higher price before he travelled to Tafa town in Kaduna State and
filled his tank at a petroleum station.

A source in the Suleja depot who spoke to our reporter on
condition of anonymity, said the Department of the Petroleum
Resources DPR at its headquarters in Abuja, succeeded in convincing
the group not to include Abuja in the action, with the assurance of
looking into their complaint on Tuesday.

Fuel scarcity hit Suleja town, Niger State, on Monday as the
Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) embarked on
strike.

IPMAN alleged that the strike was a result of extortion and
demand for daily transaction records from filling stations by the
DPR officials.

However, the Head of Public Affairs of DPR, Paul Osu, in a
statement said the request of daily stocks record by the DPR was to
enable it provide accurate petroleum products consumption data for
the country and not extortion.

“We want to state for the records that request for daily stock
of products’ supplied is a statutory regulatory requirement for any
retail outlet license holder, which enables DPR to provide accurate
petroleum products consumption data for the country.

“This regulatory oversight is at no cost to the retail outlets,”
he added.

When Our correspondent went round, all the filling stations in
Suleija were under lock and key.

Also, some transporters and other fuel users lamented that the
strike took them unawares, forcing them to buy from alternative
sources.

Malam Muhammad Ali, a commercial transporter said, “I was lucky
to have a little fuel in my car so travelled to a neighbouring town
and refilled my tank.”

Another motorist, Adamu, said he bought from the black market at
a higher price before he travelled to Tafa town in Kaduna State and
filled his tank at a petroleum station.

A source in the Suleja depot who spoke to our reporter on
condition of anonymity, said the Department of the Petroleum
Resources DPR at its headquarters in Abuja, succeeded in convincing
the group not to include Abuja in the action, with the assurance of
looking into their complaint on Tuesday.