The Adamawa chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has accused Nigerian Customs Services (NCS) of abandoning their designated areas of work and engaging in illegal operations against their members.
The leadership of IPMAN in a press briefing today in Yola said the illegal operations of the men of the Nigerian customs is one of the causes of artificial scarcity of petroleum products across the many parts of Adamawa and Taraba States.
They lamented that the officers who ought to be operating in border areas to checkmate the inflow of people from other countries and boundary lines drifted and began to harass and molest their members within metropolitan and local government areas.
“Our members, who are engaged in legitimate and legal businesses of supplying and distributing petroleum products, are facing confiscation and impoundment of their petroleum tanker trucks, as well as the sealing of filling stations by these customs officers.” They said
While narrating their ordeals, the IPMAN Leadership told journalists that they want to address the pressing issues affecting their businesses and members that Adamawa State in particular facing pockets of petroleum products scarcity.
According to them despite being patriotic citizens who respect the rule of law by distributing petroleum products to every corner of Adamawa state and the country at large as it’s enshrined in the Nigeria constitution, said NCS for over a month through its Anti-Smuggling Unit operating under the code name Operation Wild Wine are acting unreasonable not according to the provision of the law.
They insist that NCS operations in recent times can not be tolerated or accepted as it’s causing huge Financial losses for petroleum marketers.
They further revealed that the illegal operations of NCS are bringing about a hike in product prices for consumers due to the non-availability of petroleum supplies. And crippling the state economy, which the government has worked tirelessly to stabilize.
“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has signed the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) into law, which deregulates petroleum products, similar to the regulation of diesel (AGO). This means there should be no government interference in the monitoring or sales of such products.
“In light of these issues, we are calling on His Excellency Governor Ahmadu Umaru Fintiri, the Chief Security Officer of the state, to urgently intervene. We request that the Nigerian Customs Service be called to order to prevent escalation, which could lead to industrial action by all petroleum product stakeholders, including IPMAN, NARTO, and all branches of NUPENG: PTD, IMB, PSW, ELD, SUTAKEP, etc., and everyone involved in the supply and distribution of petroleum products in the state.
“If our concerns are not addressed by Monday, June 25, 2024, we will not hesitate to unanimously withdraw our services of supplying and distributing petroleum in the entire state.” They Stated
