Yakubu Suleiman: IPMAN Is Fully Ready To Start Lifting At Dangote, Has An Agreement To Secure Cheaper Petrol Price For Nigerians

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has revealed that it is fully ready to begin lifting petroleum products from Dangote Refinery, and that it has also has reached an agreement with the management of the Refinery on how to get cheaper price of petroleum products for Nigerians

The National Assistant Secretary of the IPMAN, Yakubu Suleiman, said this in an interview with ARISE NEWS on Tuesday, revealing that a successful meeting with the refinery’s management, facilitated by President Bola Tinubu, has paved the way for this arrangement.

Suleiman said, “We have had a good discussion, that was what Mr President has stated of IPMAN. That was why the support and, like Mr President had said yesterday in our committee, that we are fully ready to start lifting at Dangote. Yes of course, you have stated that because of that interview- yes, because of that interview, Dangote called us and he sat with Mr President and they had a very fruitful discussion, which at the end of the day make now build a good synergy between the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria and Dangote Refinery.

“We are Nigerians, we are as well happy with Dangote Refinery, we prayed for him, for his success, but it’s just the synergy. What we had been calling on was how the synergy can be built, and it’s all for the sake of patriotism- how can we serve Nigeria and Nigerians. And we are happy that with that meeting with Dangote now, we have already resolved all the nitty-gritty issues, and by the grace of God, very soon, maybe within the next coming days, Nigerians will really feel the impact.

“And the whole thing revolves around how do we have cheaper petroleum price? Like I said earlier in my former interview that it really bothers us that Nigerians are buying at a higher rate. But I want to assure you, like what Mr President has stated yesterday, their discussion with Dangote is still ongoing, I believe between today or tomorrow, we are going to finish on the issue of pricing. Then, by then, when we start lifting, Nigerians definitely will appreciate.”

He then expressed optimism that, within days, Nigerians would start experiencing the positive effects of this partnership, noting, “We have an agreement on how we can come out with the pricing that is favourable for Nigeria and Nigerians. By the grace of God, let us wait and I believe that by the time we all agree on the pricing, our National President will still come out and tell the whole Nigerians, this is what IPMAN- the price they have gotten from Dangote, and this is what IPMAN is going to be selling in their retail stations. This is an assurance I want to tell you.”

Suleiman then said that the agreement was solid, despite there being no word of such an agreement from the management of the Dangote Refinery as he said, “If there was no agreement between IPMAN and Dangote, Mr President wouldn’t have even called the CWC and the press conference he has made. So I want to assure you, there was an agreement, there is an agreement, and there is a very good understanding between Dangote and IPMAN now.”

Suleiman made it clear that there was no cartel within IPMAN and emphasised that the association was simply seeking to eliminate middlemen in the distribution process, saying, “There is no issue of any cartel that is in existence, even within IPMAN. IPMAN is not a cartel- we are marketers ready to serve Nigerians, and because, why we were- initially you saw we were just trying to sit down with Dangote for us to have a suitable market, is that we are tired of buying our products with the middle men. We want to buy this product directly from Dangote. And things now have been normalised, we are happy, we thank Dangote for agreeing that IPMAN should go directly to him and buy this product, and take it to the end users.”

Ozioma Samuel-Ugwuezi

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