IPMAN president Ahmed decries delay in claims payment

The new national president of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Debo Ahmed, has appealed to the management of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited to ensure the payment of outstanding bridging claims owed the Association’s members.

He made the appeal during the inauguration of the new national leadership of the association in Abuja.

Ahmed succeeded the immediate past President of IPMAN, Mr. Habu Fari, whose tenure expired in November last year.

In his acceptance speech, he also identified insecurity across the country as some of the bottlenecks being encountered by his members in lifting petroleum products from depots.

“The nation is facing a magnitude of insecurity. As IPMAN, we need to address this issue and the effects on our business and the environment where we operate.

“Our members have billions of Naira as transport claims with the defunct Petroleum Equalisation Fund now with Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority, (NMDPRA) unattended. As a united association, we have to follow up to make sure our members are paid unconditionally,” he said.

In his remarks, the president of NUPENG, Williams Akporeha, said his union was determined to ensure that the new leadership of IPMAN was not frustrated from carrying out its constitutionally assigned mandate.

“I have the mandate of my union that any injury to this IPMAN leadership is an injury to NUPENG. We can’t afford distraction at this time after passage of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA).

“As we round up this important process, let us forge ahead as one stakeholders in the interest of the oil and gas sector,” he said.

His PENGASSAN counterpart, Festus Osifo, said: “We are like Siamese twins; anything that happens to IPMAN affects us. We will stand by you. The last three years have been turbulent. Let us give the new leadership the deserved respect and cooperation so that we will always have cause to celebrate.”

Also speaking, the NLC president, Ayuba Wabba, urged the new leadership to ensure that its members relate henceforth as a family.

He said, “For us at NLC, we hold this association, IPMAN, in high esteem for its job creation efforts and secondly and most importantly, it has made it possible to distribute petroleum products to every nook and cranny of this country.

“I urge you to be more cohesive. Your Constitution is very clear and the Supreme Court judgement is very clear. I want to pledge the support of NLC and our 50 affiliates to you.”

(NAN)