N50 Billion Bridging Claims: Fuel Scarcity Looms

By Akinwale Kasali

The festive season celebration could be marred by the scarcity of fuel, if threats by Petroleum Marketers under the aegis of Northern Independent Petroleum Forum, NIFP, is anything to go by.

The Group had threatened to embark on an industrial strike action over an alleged N50 billion bridging claims.

On Sunday, the Forum’s Chairman, Alhaji Musa Maikifi, in a statement made this known that the  Federal Government through the Petroleum Equalization Fund was yet to settle the N50 billion Bridging Claim for over nine Months.

Maikifi stressed that failure to settle the claims may force many out of business and lead to scarcity of fuel in the North, adding that the majority of its members have ran out of capital, hence could not buy and transport fuel to the region.

The Forum’s Chairman said the lamentation of its members from the nine depots across the Northern States was the main reason why the the industrial action is rife and could take center stage, because for the past nine months they had made efforts to get their money paid by the FG but it has been in vain.

“If this continues in this way so many of us will have to close down our fuel stations. This will add to the fuel scarcity in the region because the marketers have no capital.

“The Federal Government couldn’t settle our claims of over N50 billion. We met the authority involved and they promised to pay us but yet they haven’t.

“So, that is why we are here to plead with them to pay us our unsettled claims so that we can continue our business smoothly,” he lamented.

The motive behind the creation of Northern Independent Petroleum Marketers Forum, according to Maikifi, is to always have one voice that will speak on their behalf, adding that the leadership crisis rocking the IPMAN has also added to their burden which their Forum is ready to address.

The Group said the bridging claims was supposed to have been paid within two weeks but for months now,  are not settled, forcing over 3000 marketers  scampering for funds to boost their businesses.

“One thing that will surprise you is that this money does not belong to the Government. It is generated from the consumers that purchased fuel from us marketers and the NNPC gathered the money and then pay us through PEF. But still they hold our money.

“Presently you can see that there is fuel scarcity here and there in the north, and if we enter January, February without our claims settled, I assure you that we can’t do it, we can’t do the business,” he said.

The Group urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of State for Petroleum, Timpriye Sylva, to intervene inthe matter to help them sustain their businesses.