The Northern Independent Petroleum Marketers Forum has issued a warning of a possible strike if the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) fails to pay them over N250 billion in outstanding bridging claims. At a press conference held in Kano on Thursday, the forum’s chairperson, Musa Maikifi, highlighted that their members are being owed significant amounts in bridging claims, which represent the cost of transporting fuel from pipelines and product marketing company depots to approved zones for maintaining uniform pump prices across the country.
The forum, comprising nine depots in the northern region of Nigeria, including Kano, Kaduna, Suleja, Minna, Jos, Maiduguri, Gombe, and Yola, expressed concerns over the delay in payment, stating that it is posing threats to their businesses. Some members are facing difficulties in supplying and selling petroleum at various outlets due to the delayed payments.
Jarma Mustapha, the secretary of the forum, emphasized that there are other outstanding bridging claims from the defunct Petroleum Equalization Fund that remain unpaid. The forum called on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to intervene and ensure that all outstanding claims up to May 30, 2023, are paid promptly, enabling their members to sustain their businesses.
Mustapha explained that the money used for bridging claims is contributed by consumers, collected by marketers, paid to NNPC, and then channeled into the collective fund of the Equalization Fund. The fund aims to equalize prices across the country and is not financed by the government but rather by the consumers through the marketers. The forum’s appeal comes as they grapple with the challenges arising from the recent deregulation in the industry and the unmet financial obligations from the bridging claims.
