Northern IPMAN gives FG 3 days ultimatum to pay N76 bn unsettled bridging claims or face indefinite strike

AHMED MARI,  Maiduguri

The Northern  Independent Petroleum Marketers Associations of Nigeria (IPMAN), Forum has given the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDRA) to settle their unpaid bridging claims of N76 billion or  be forced to embarked on indefinite strike on withdrawal of services  at the nine depots across the Northern states.

Addressing newsmen at a press briefing, which held at the IPMAN office, Maiduguri, the spokesman of the Forum, Alhaji Abduljadir Mustapha said the Forum has resolved to embark on 3 days withdrawal of service at the nine Northern depots of Maiduguri, Kano, Kaduna, Gombe, Yola, Gusau, Mina, Suleja and Yola.

“We the members of the IPMAN, wish to clarify the air on our resolution to embark on three days withdrawal of services at the depots as warning action. For years, we have been following and lobbying the management of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDRA) regarding our unsettled  bridging claims but to no avail”, he stated.

According to him,  “form of us to transport a truck, it cost us N1.7 to N1.8 million as it took 1.700 to1,900 litres of diesel to transports  a truck to and from and other allowances. We have over N76 bn unsettled claims, and  therefore call on the Federal Government and well meaning Nigerians to intervene”.

Alhaji Mustapha said as peace loving association, they called on the authority to pay them all their entitlements and ensure that henceforth, all products lifted are paid within the stipulated 30 days, as failure to do so will forced them to embark on indefinite strike in all depots and filling stations across the Northern states.

He said a lot of their claims for 2019 and  2021 have not been paid, as well as  non payment of 2022 claims, stressing that only 5 percent of their  payment was paid and called on the Federal government to intervene to avoid forcing their members out of business..

The spokesman further said “this is causing  untold hardship on our teeming members, hence we have resolved at our meeting held on 17th August, 2022 at Porto Gulf Hotel, Kano state to withdrew our services at the depots for 3 days as stated above”.

For a better society