We were never on strike- Depot Owners

The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association (DAPPMA) have denied ever embarking on any shut-down of their depots and facilities.

In a statement on Tuesday the Executive Secretary of DAPPMA, Mr. Olufemi Adewole, said  that contrary to the notion that they had shut down their depots, it was the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) arm of the Nigerian Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas workers (NUPENG) and the National Association of Road Transport Owners  (NARTO), which transports petroleum products that embarked on the strike.

He said the strike was caused by complaints of not being paid by marketers.

Adewole said:

“We have maintained that we would sell and load all petroleum products available to us even as delays in the payments of our reimbursement have continued to impede and adversely affect our operations. The suspension in loading in the last few days has been due to the strike  embarked upon by PTD-NUPENG and NARTO. These two bodies had refused to load out/lift petroleum products for distribution from our depots,”

He described the allegation by the Managing Director of Capital Oil, Mr. Ifeanyi Ubah that DAPPMA member companies embarked on a strike as completely false.

 

According to him, Capital Oil and Gas Industries Limited does not participate in the petroleum subsidy scheme having been disqualified from the PSF scheme’ by the government regulatory agency hence they do not import petrol.

“The company is not owed a kobo under the PSF scheme as they cannot make any claim hence they do not feel the impact of non-payment of subsidy reimbursements, instead, the company stores petroleum products for NNPC/PPMC under a through  arrangement as do a few other members of our association,”

“We reiterate that since the unions embarked on this action, we have been dialoguing with them to seek amicable ways of resolving this logjam bearing in mind its harrowing and debilitating impact on the Nigerian public and the masses,”

He stated that at the Senate Petroleum Committee’s sitting last Monday, that the situation between depot owners/marketers and the Federal Ministry of Finance and all other stakeholders have been resolved.

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