The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has called on the Federal Government to prevail on private depot owners to reverse their decision to raise the prices of petroleum product.
According to IPMAN, Nigerians may face an increase in the price of fuel if the government fail to prevail on them.
The IPMAN chairman Kano chapter, Alhaji Bashir Danmallam, stated this in a statement issued in Kano on Friday.
He said some of the private depot owners had increased the price of the commodity from N148 per litre to between N153 and N155 per litre since Friday last week.
He said the association found it necessary to alert the government in order not to blame its members if they increase the price of the commodity as they would not operate at loss.
“Some private depot owners are trying to sabotage the Federal Government by unilaterally increasing their prices even though the government has not raised the fuel pump price.
“We are equally calling on the Management of the NNPC to investigate the issue as some of the private depot owners have since Friday last week increased the price from N148 per litre to between N153 and N155 per litre. We know it’s only the Federal Government that imports fuel into the country.
“As I am talking to you private depot owners in Warri, Calabar Lagos and Oghara in Delta State have increased their prices. We hope the management of the NNPC will investigate and intervene,” Danmalam said.
He also accused the private depot owners of trying to cause a fuel crisis in the country by closing the depots as the end of the year is fast approaching to maximize profit.
He said the association would not fold its arms and allow such unpatriotic private depot owners to engage in unnecessary price increase while the public is always accusing their members of flagrant increase in fuel prices.
