Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Aba unit, Abia State, has decried the continued stoppage of distribution of petroleum products from the Aba depot to direct sales outlets in the South East.

To press for resumption of the pumping of the products, IPMAN members yesterday marched peacefully to the depot at Osisioma where they handed over their protest letter captioned ‘NPSC Aba Depot: IPMAN Aba Depot Unit Position’ to the depot manager, Samuel Ocheni.

IPMAN’s letter stated that its investigation showed that while the Nigerian Pipeline Storage Company (NPSC), Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) Aba depot, has not received kerosene and diesel for about two years now, it has also not received Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) for about five months.

“Our investigation has shown that the pipeline from the pumping station at Port Harcourt to Aba depot is safe and through, and the contractor paid to safeguard it also on the ground,” it stated.

The association added that it could not, therefore, fathom why products were not pumped to Aba depot, considering the socio-economic effect, including job losses, waste of time and other resources.

It cited the compelling of its members to truck products from Port Harcourt, Lagos and other coastal areas on very bad roads resulting in a constant loss of lives and property.

Appealing to the NPSC, Pipelines and Product Marketing Company (PPMC) and NNPC managements to trigger resumption of pumping activities in the deport, the IPMAN Aba unit chairman, Bobby Dick; and secretary, Oliver Okoro, noted that the depot alone was serving the entire South East, adding that “the peaceful demonstration is an expression of our frustration, after series of appeal and to avoid imminent scarcity of petroleum products this festive period.”

Reacting, the depot manager, after receiving the IPMAN letter dated November 18, 2019, promised that the letter would be brought to the attention of the authorities for necessary action.

(The Guardian)

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