The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has told Nigerians to prepare for the worst fuel crisis.

To avoid this, IPMAN asked the Federal Government (FG) to prevail on the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to pay its members their outstanding ‘bridging claims’ amounting to over N500 billion.

The IPMAN chairman in Kano State, Bashir Danmalam, made the remarks while addressing a news conference in the State on Monday, 9th May 2022.

He disclosed the failure of the NMDPRA to pay the bridging claims, otherwise known as transportation claims, had forced many of its members out of business as they couldn’t transport the commodity due to high cost of diesel.

Mr Danmalam lamented that non-payment of the claims by NMDPRA for over eight months had crippled the businesses of many of their members as they couldn’t transport the commodity even though it was available.

He said, “NMDPRA is responsible for the payment of bridging claims otherwise known as transportation claims For failure of the NMDPRA to pay the outstanding claims for about nine months, many marketers cannot transport the product because their funds are not being paid. Despite the high price of diesel, they manage to supply the petroleum products nationwide.

“The resurfacing of fuel queues in Abuja is just a tip of the iceberg with regard to the petroleum scarcity. Out of 100 percent, only five per cent of the marketers can supply the petroleum products because of the failure of NMDPRA to pay them.”

He frowned that since after the amalgamation of DPR, PEF, and PPRA, to form NMDPRA, the agency had paid them only two times.

Danmalam, therefore, called on the FG to intervene before the situation degenerates into a serious fuel crisis and spreads to other parts of the country.

“As leaders, we have to come out to say the truth because our members are suffering from the failure of the agency to pay the fund. This Petroleum Equalisation Fund is our own money we contribute to each litre. This agency is doing more harm than good to us.”

He asked Nigerians not to blame their members for the fuel scarcity, but rather ascribe it to NMDPRA.

“We are not agitating for a transportation fee increase, we are only clamouring for payment of our bridging claims that amounts to over N500 billion.” he added.

Without mincing words, Nigeria’s authorities are just bunch of clowns, to assert the least. Nigerians were notified by the NNPC barely 24 hours ago that the resurfaced fuel scarcity in Abuja was attributed to low load-outs of petroleum products owing to the long public holidays.

I wonder why these authorities enjoy playing pranks on the country’s citizenry. They are unwittingly making our young ones believe that prank is an acceptable act or behaviour. They have never informed, and can never inform, the general public the actual cause of any ongoing crisis in any part of the country.

The resurfaced fuel scarcity signifies that another phase of hunger looms in Nigeria. Nigerians are apparently living not unlike slaves in their own land. That is exactly the situation they have been subjected to, by their leaders. The worst is, they are ‘suffering-smiling’. How did we get here?

As another phase of the fuel crisis looms, it’s pertinent to note that what the system candidly needs is overhaul. 

A Federal High Court in Abuja, the Nigeria’s capital territory, has on Monday, 9th May 2022 ordered the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and Attorney-General of the Federation (AGF) to appear before it on May 12, 2022 to explain why the Governor of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele should be disqualified from running for the country’s Presidential position in 2023.

It’s noteworthy that Emefiele had earlier filed a suit at the court, asking the arbiter to restrain the INEC and the AGF from disqualifying his presidential ambition.

Rumours have been making the rounds, for months now, that Emefiele was willing to join partisan politics. The campaign posters of the CBN boss were spotted everywhere at the venue of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) national convention, which was held in March this year.

The speculations were further made popular after a video showing several cars branded with ‘Emefiele for President’ went viral on the social media.

Emefiele’s lawyer, Mike Ozekhome reportedly applied for an order of ‘status quo ante bellum’ to be made against the INEC and AGF, so that the CBN Governor would not be made to resign from office until 30 days to the general election, as stipulated in the Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution, as amended.

In an ex-parte application argued on Monday, 9th May 2022, Emefiele denied being a political appointee but a Public servant, hence not caught by section 84 (12) of the new Electoral Act, 2022.

It could be recalled that the aforementioned section of the amended Electoral Act summarily stipulates that no ‘political appointee’ would be eligible to vote, or be voted for, at the Congress or Convention of any political party in Nigeria.

The CBN Governor asked the court to invoke section 318 of the 1999 Constitution to bar the defendants from asking him to vacate office, until 30 days before the February 2023 Presidential election.

Emefiele expressed apprehension that sale and submission of the presidential nomination form would expire on Wednesday, 11th May 2022 and that unless the INEC and AGF are ordered to maintain ‘status ante bellum’ as at May 5 when he filed the suit, he would be made to vacate office before his form would be accepted by the appropriate authority.

However, in a brief ruling, Monday, Justice Ahmed Ramat Mohammed turned down the request for the order, hence ordered him to put the defendants on notice and also serve court processes on the defendants.

Justice Mohammed ordered the defendants to appear before him on May 12 and show cause on why the request should not be granted.

In the suit marked FHC/ABJ/CS/610/2022 instituted on his behalf, 5th May 2022, by the Constitutional lawyer, Ozekhome, the defendants were the INEC and the AGF.

The plaintiff had in the originating summon prayed an order of the court that, he cannot be hindered, stopped or precluded from participating, voting or being voted for at the congress or prevention of any political party of his choice for the purpose of the nomination of candidates for the election to the office of President or any other office under the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

The court suit obviously marked the end of the myriad of speculations, hence strongly informing the general public that Emefiele is truly aspiring for the number-one position of the country come 2023.

One may then wonder why the CBN boss, over the weekend, denied that no presidential Nomination and Expression of Interest forms were bought on his behalf by some support and interest groups; knowing full well that the forms were allegedly purchased after he had filed the suit at the law court.

Without equivocations, Emefiele’s attitude of speaking from both sides of his mouth goes a long way to indicate that he’s ridiculing his personality and the position he presently occupies.

I wonder how Emefiele intends to carry out political campaigns over his presidential ambition while still occupying his current post as the country’s CBN Governor. What is really wrong with Africans; are we under spell or something?

The request by sane Nigerians is very simple; Emefiele ought to jettison his current position and pursue his political aspiration. He can’t be playing active and partisan politics, and still occupies such a critical and sensitive post as the governor of the country’s apex bank.

It’s indeed high time Emefiele stopped playing on the intelligence and intellectual ability of over 200 million Nigerians.