Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) National Chairman Chief Chinedu Okoronkwo has clarified that the association decided to reduce the pump price of petrol from N145 to N140 per litre as part of its contribution to ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians travelling to vote during elections.
Okoronkwo told The Nation on phone that the N140 per litre directive would be carried out by IPMAN members nationwide.
He said the reduction was a sacrifice that would be made by IPMAN members since no amount of sacrifice is much for national peace.
Okoronkwo said: “Everybody must be involved in nation-building. This reduction of fuel price is our own contribution to nation-building, entrench peace and ameliorate the suffering of Nigerians. This is a sacrifice IPMAN members will make for the nation and Nigerians. No amount of sacrifice is too much for peace. The fuel price reduction will help reduce the expenses of Nigerians during this period of elections.
“The reduction will last till March 12 to help reduce transport fares for Nigerians as they travel to vote for their candidates for the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and Houses of Assembly elections. After that date, we will review the price.”
On how the association would monitor its members to ensure compliance, Okoronkwo said: “We have a mechanism of reaching every member and ensuring that all comply.”
Okoronkwo had on February 17, through the Northwest Zonal Chairman of IPMAN, Alhaji Bashir Salisu Tahir in Kano, directed IPMAN members to reduce pump price of petrol from N145 to N140 as part of the association’s contribution towards encouraging voters to participate in the election processes.
However, another IPMAN factional leader, Mr. Sanusi Fari, according to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), countered the directive and told IPMAN members to disregard Okoronkwo’s directive on price reduction.
Fari called on members to disregard the national president’s directive on plans to reduce the petrol pump price from N145 to N140.
He urged members to continue to render their services to the public in view of the one-week postponement of the elections. He urged members not to sell petrol above the Federal Government’s approved pump price of N145.
The Deputy National President, IPMAN Western Zone, Alhaji Debo Ahmed, said Okoronkwo had no right to direct any member to sell at N140.
Ahmed added that Okoronkwo did not have filling stations and he was not the association’s president.
He wondered how marketers would reduce price when government as the sole importer and supply of the product had not reduced price.
“Where will Okoronkwo get the product that would be sold at N140 from? The price of transportation to take product to station has increased due to increase in diesel price. It’s not possible to reduce price to N140 per litre. We don’t know where he got his information from, since he is not the president. He is on his own. The Southwest will not align with his directive; he should not politicise people’s business for his personal interest,” Ahmed said.