The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has extended its ultimatum and suspended planned shutdown of petroleum depots for another five days, until the Federal Government pays all the outstanding debt which it owed the marketers.
DAPPMAN had directed all its members to shut down operations at midnight of Sunday, December 9, 2018.
This is even as Mr. Umar Ajiya, Group Managing Director (GMD) at Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC), Monday, tweeted Nigerians should go about their normal businesses as adequate arrangements have been put in place by the NNPC and PPMC to ensure that there is continuous supply and uninterrupted distribution of petroleum products throughout the country.
In Tweeter handle, Ajiya wrote NNPC retail stations and all the NNPC depots would be operational across the country throughout the festive season in order to ensure seamless supply and distribution of petroleum products.
DAPPMAN in a statement signed on Monday by its executive secretary, Olufemi Adewole, said it decided to extend it earlier seven-day ultimatum with another five days to give the Federal Government more time to look into the issue and settle the outstanding debts of N800 billion.
The group said this decision was necessary following the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians.
“However, following the intervention of well-meaning Nigerians including the National Assembly as represented by the Senate Committee of Petroleum Downstream and constructive engagement of the Federal Government team by the labour unions most affected by the disengagement of our personnel, namely, PENGASSAN, NUPENG NARTO, and the PTD, DAPPMAN has resolved to recall its disengaged personnel for five-days to give the FG’s team the opportunity to conclude its process of paying marketers the full outstanding of N800 billion with the first trench being the amount already approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC),” the statement read.
The association added that the decision was also made to avoid unnecessary hardship for Nigerians during this yuletide season. It therefore asked all its depots to commence operations immediately and await further directive.
“The association has acted in good faith to avoid unnecessary hardship which could befall Nigerians during the yuletide season and we hope that government would make good its promise to see that these issues are resolved by Friday, December 14, 2018 as promised.”
Oil marketers, comprising Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN), Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMAN) and Independent Petroleum Products Importers (IPPIs), had earlier given the Federal Government a seven-day ultimatum to settle outstanding debts totaling N800 billion.
Days after oil marketers issued a seven-day ultimatum to demand payment of the N800 billion outstanding subsidy debt under the Petroleum Support Fund (PSF), the federal government said it offered the marketers N340 billion in promissory notes.
The marketers said they have resolved to stop operations at the depots if the Federal Government does not take the necessary steps to pay the outstanding debt within seven days.
A letter containing the ultimatum has been served to the relevant government bodies such as the Debt Management Office (DMO), the Minister of Finance, the Chairman, Senate Committee on Petroleum (Downstream), the Department of State Services (DSS) and the Minister of State, Petroleum Resources.
The group said failure to meet the deadline would also force its members to disengage workers from depots and shut down depots across the country.
However, the Senate Committee on Petroleum Downstream in response called on the oil marketers to as a matter of national interest rescind their seven-day ultimatum and allow the Federal Government a little more time to look into their demands.
