The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) says that filling stations belonging to its members nationwide will not go on strike.

Mike Osatuyi, the IPMAN’s National  Operations Controller, gave the assurance in an interview in Lagos on Thursday.

Mr Osatuyi said that the assurance became necessary to debunk the insinuations that lPMAN members were planning to shut down all their stations.

According to him, the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), is committed to sell its products directly to IPMAN members at the official rate of ex-depot price.

He said that the backlogs of IPMAN’s members  over 2,000 tickets were being cleared at   present.

Mr Osatuyi said: “Nigerians should not engage in any panic buying as they are entering the Christmas period.

“Our wide networks nationwide make us the perfect outlets to ensure sustained distribution of petroleum products across the country,” he said.

On December 10, the Ogun chapter of IPMAN threatened to shut down all its outlets across the state over the ultimatum issued to marketers by the State Security Services (SSS).

In the Lagos metropolis, fuel queues were gradually easing off in some filling stations, a correspondent observed on Thursday.

The major oil marketers were selling petrol at the regulated prices between N169 and N170 per litre, while stations belonging to independent marketers were still selling  above the government approved  price per litre.

Selling of petrol in jerry cans along the highways, popularly known as “black market”, is also gradually easing off.

There had been an  improvement in the  loading of petroleum products from Apapa and  the Dockyard Depots by fuel tankers belonging to  marketers to various states of the federation.

Similarly, Ahmed Farouk, the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), had assured Nigerians of sufficient supply of the products during  Yuletide. 

(NAN)