The Satellite Depot under the Western Zone of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Lagos has commenced sales of kerosene at N50 per litre in their filling stations to Lagos residents.
LEADERSHIP checks on the sales of the product within Lagos metropolis with IPMAN officials, revealed that many of the filing stations were strictly complying with the stipulated price and maximum of 20 litres per person.
Speaking with our correspondent, Toba Shinkaye, who is the Assistant Secretary, IPMAN Western Zone, said that the association considered it necessary to ensure that independent marketers who have the product sell for N50 per litre.
He explained that about 20 trucks were allocated to them which all the marketers under the satellite shared among themselves to ensure? that every member gets the product in their tanks to sale.
Shinkaye added that the essence of the visitation to some filling stations selling kerosene at N50 per litre was to demonstrate to government what the Western Zone has been agitating for, adding that if the product was given directly to them, it would go a long way in reaching the grass roots rather that given it through the IPMAN national body.
He said the result of giving the product directly to zone was what it has demonstrated, noting that the zone understood and knew the grass root customers who need the product.
According to him, “We want members of the public to benefit from the official rate of N50 and if government can sustain the supply we are confident that the product will get to the target market which is the ordinary people on the street.
“About 20 trucks of kerosene were shared among our members under the satellite depot in Lagos as much as possible, we want to make sure that the product is available to all our members' filing station’’ .
He said adequate mechanism has been put in place to ensure that members who sell above the pump price of N50 per litre are arrested and handed over to disciplinary committee.
Shinkaye however urged government to ensure that kerosene was available at all times directly to zone to fast-track distribution to the grass root.
Basking in the joy of buying the product cheaply, a resident who identified herself as Francisca Ibeh, urged the federal government to make the product available in all the filing stations in the State, in order to reduce waste of productive period before getting the product.