The Nigerian National Petroleum Limited Company has formally agreed to permit oil marketers, who operate under the auspices of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, to commence the lifting of Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) from its depot at a lower price.

The Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority has also committed to issuing import and off-taker licenses to the oil dealers to either import fuel directly or purchase products straight from the Dangote Refinery in line with the government plan to fully deregulate the oil sector.

This came after the association threatened to cease operations nationwide due to the high costs associated with loading petroleum products from NNPCL facilities.

IPMAN had revealed on Thursday that the cost of petrol from the Dangote Petroleum Refinery to NNPC was about N898/litre, but noted that NNPC was selling the same product to independent marketers at N1,010/litre in Lagos.

The association, which controls over 70 per cent of filling stations nationwide, kicked against this and threatened to down tools, as it also demanded a refund from NNPC for earlier petrol supply payments made by its members.

The IPMAN national president, Abubakar Maigandi, who spoke during a live television interview on Thursday, argued that the price was higher than what NNPC paid for the product from the Dangote refinery.

He also noted that independent marketers’ funds had been held by the national oil company for about three months.

According to him, NNPC purchased the product from the refinery at N898/litre but is asking marketers to buy it at N1,010/litre in Lagos; N1,045 in Calabar; N1,050 in Port Harcourt; and N1,040 in Warri.

“Our major challenge now is that independent marketers have an outstanding debt from the NNPC and the company collected products through Dangote at a lower rate, which is not up to N900, but they are telling us now to buy this product from them at the price of N1,010/litre in Lagos; N1,045 in Calabar; N1,050 in Port-Harcourt; and N1,040 in Warri,” Maigandi stated.

However, in a new agreement reached following a peace meeting facilitated by the Director General of the Department of State Services, Adeola Ajayi, the national oil firm has permitted the loading of products to cover the N15bn owed to the marketers.

The National Publicity Secretary of IPMAN, Chinedu Ukadike, revealed this in an interview with Sunday PUNCH on Saturday.

The national officer stated that the meeting was attended by a director from the NMDPRA and the Group Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mele Kyari, making it easy to shift grounds to enable independent marketers to load products.

He said, “We were invited by the Director of the Department of State Services to resolve the ongoing issue between the association and the NNPCL.

“The meeting was on the non-compliance of selling PMS to IPMAN by Dangote Refinery and the problem we are having with NNPCL in terms of pricing. Based on this, the director of DSS invited us and brokered peace.

“Among what was agreed upon after a meditation process led by our National President Abubakar Maigandi, NNPCL has agreed to make some reductions and allow independent marketers to load out those tickets that amount to N15bn immediately.”

Ukadike further disclosed that the NMDPRA agreed to issue IPMAN import licenses to be able to embrace full deregulation in the sector.

When contacted, the NMDPRA spokesperson, George Ene-Ita, claimed not to be aware of the meeting. “I am sorry, I am not aware of any meeting or license approval. I was not part of it.”

Meanwhile, the NMPDRA has resolved to make a payment of N10bn to the oil marketers as outstanding payments under the Petroleum Equalisation Fund.

_______________________________________________________________________ Groundbreaking Guide For Lawyers: Adigwe Publishes ‘Artificial Intelligence For Lawyers’ With Free Research eBook As an added bonus, every purchase comes with a FREE ebook titled: “AI in Legalpedia and Law Pavilion: A Research Guide.” Ohio Books Ltd praises the publication, stating: "....this is the only Nigerian book I know of on the topic." How to Order: 📞 Call, Text, or WhatsApp: 08034917063 | 07055285878 📧 Email: benadigwe1@gmail.com 🌎 Website: www.benadigwe.com Ebook Version: Access it directly online at https://selar.com/prv626   ______________________________________________________________________ “Enhance Legal Practice With Authoritative Reports” — Alexander Payne Offers Comprehensive Law Reports, Spanning Over A Century Of Nigerian Jurisprudence

Interested buyers are encouraged to place their orders and enquiries via: 0704 444 4777, 0704 444 4999, 0818 199 9888 Website: www.alexandernigeria.com

_______________________________________________________________________ [A MUST HAVE] Evidence Act Demystified With Recent And Contemporary Cases And Materials
“Evidence Act: Complete Annotation” by renowned legal experts Sanni & Etti.
Available now for NGN 40,000 at ASC Publications, 10, Boyle Street, Onikan, Lagos. Beside High Court, TBS. Email publications@ayindesanni.com or WhatsApp +2347056667384. Purchase Link: https://paystack.com/buy/evidence-act-complete-annotation ______________________________________________________________________ “Bridging Theory And Courtroom Practice” — Hagler Sunny Okorie, Nathaniel Ngozi Ikeocha Unveil ‘Functional’ Tort Law Book For Nigerian Legal System The book, titled The Law of Torts in Nigeria: A Functional Approach, authored by Professor Hagler Sunny Okorie Ph.D and Ikeocha, Nathaniel Ngozi Esq, offers law students, practitioners, and academics a comprehensive guide to understanding and applying tort law in Nigerian courts. Interested buyers can place orders via the following contact numbers: 08028636615, 08037667945, 08032253813, or +234 902 196 2209. _______________________________________________________________________

“Order Your Copy Now” — Basil Momodu, Esq. Unveils Second Edition Of His Book, "Civil Procedure In Nigeria"

According to the learned author, Basil Momodu Esq. "Law review is a continuum. We will continue to track changes in the law to enrich future editions." Recommended Booksellers: Lagos: 08033855230, Abuja: 08035991379, and others.