The Dangote Petroleum Refinery has said that it has not received any payments from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to purchase refined petroleum products.
The clarification followed a recent claim by IPMAN President Abubakar Garima that some marketers that NNPCL sent to load in Dangote refinery “stayed with their trucks for four days, and they cannot load.”
Garima also stated that IPMAN members are not importing fuel, and suggested that rather than get Dangote petrol through the NNPCL, the refinery should register independent petrol marketers directly for smooth loading of the product.
He also said IPMAN, with over 20,000 members in Nigeria, has N40billion upfront payment with the NNPCL and still cannot load fuel from the private refinery.
Responding to Garima’s statement, Dangote Petroleum Refinery, in a statement by its Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer, Mr. Anthony Chiejina, said it has not received any payments from IPMAN to purchase refined petroleum products.
According to Chiejina, although discussions are ongoing with IPMAN, it is misleading to suggest that they (IPMAN Members) are experiencing difficulties loading refined products from our Petroleum Refinery, as we currently have no direct business dealings with them.
“Dangote cannot be held responsible for any payments made to other entities,” he declared.
He further clarified that “the payment in mention has been made through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and not us. In the same vein, NNPCL has neither approved, nor authorised us to release our Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to IPMAN.”
Below is the full statement:
Press Statement
The Dangote Petroleum Refinery wishes to clarify that it has not received any payments from the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to purchase refined petroleum products.
Although discussions are ongoing with IPMAN, it is misleading to suggest that they (IPMAN Members) are experiencing difficulties loading refined products from our Petroleum Refinery, as we currently have no direct business dealings with them. Consequently, we cannot be held responsible for any payments made to other entities.
The payment in mention has been made through the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and not us. In the same vein, NNPCL has neither approved, nor authorised us to release our Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) to IPMAN.
We would like to emphasise that we can meet the nation’s demand for all petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel. At present, we can load 2,900 trucks per day and we have also been evacuating petroleum products by sea. We advise IPMAN to register with us and make direct payment as we have more than enough petroleum products to satisfy the needs of their members.
Furthermore, we believe it is instructive for all stakeholders to refrain from making unfounded statements in the media, as that could undermine the economic re-engineering efforts of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Conducting business through public speculation is counterproductive and unpatriotic.
In the interest of our country, we encourage all stakeholders to collaborate and heed the advice of President Tinubu, while promoting a unified approach, rather than engaging in media conflicts and needless propaganda.
Anthony Chiejina
Group Chief Branding and Communications Officer
31st October, 2024
