The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has accused the Maiduguri Nigeria National Petroleum Company Limited Depot of hoarding petrol meant for its members, thereby escalating the fuel scarcity in the state.

Reacting to the continued scarcity and closure of filling stations across the state capital despite alleged availability of the petrol products, some independent marketers alleged that the Maiduguri Depot created the artificial scarcity by refusing to sell products to marketers, adding that they rather hoard them to sell to retailers at exorbitant prices who in turn sell to consumers at higher prices.

An independent marketer, Abubakar Fannami, disclosed that “The products are available. We have trucks loaded with fuel but the NNPC Depot refused to clear the trucks and instead sell the products to retailers. They say we must pay a bridging fee of N26 despite agreeing to buy the products at N187.”

Similarly, the Borno State Chairman of IPMAN, Mohammed Kuluwu, revealed that a majority of independent marketers in Maiduguri have been unable to restock since their products finished for over two weeks now.

He lamented that the scarcity of petrol being experienced in Maiduguri is a result of NNPC refusing to clear trucks at the depot.

“In the past two weeks, only five trucks have been cleared by the depot. They say we must sell petrol at N165 but we did not get it even at N180 from them. So how can we sell petrol at N165 when we bought it from them at N185/N186 and we still pay for bridging? This is insanity.

“The depot people are there, you can go and ask them if what we are saying is not true. You can also ask them why filling stations are closed when the NNPC has distributed petrol to trucks.

“All the stations that are selling in Maiduguri are retailers, 95 per cent of our members have closed their stations because we cannot afford to operate at a loss,” Kuluwu noted.

Meanwhile, attempts to speak with the management of the Maiduguri Depot of the NNPC proved abortive as staff declined access to the depot on the premise that they were not officially communicated.

“We cannot allow you into the depot because you did not write us officially to inform us of your coming. Besides, the depot manager is not around to attend to you at the moment,” one of the staff said.

(The PUNCH)