By Kamsi Anayo, Awka
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has advised the Anambra government to jettison the idea of a State Petroleum Committee to monitor activities in the downstream subsector in the state.
Mr Chinedu Anyaso, Chairman of IPMAN, Enugu Depot Community in charge of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu state said this in Awka on Monday.
Anyaso was reacting to a statement by Mr Anthony Ifeanya, Commissioner for Petroleum in Anambra who said he was waiting for Gov. Chukwuma Soludo’s approval to set up the committee.
Anyaso said the planned committee would create confusion and duplicate functions.
Ifeanya had said that the committee would monitor compliance to petroleum products quality and price by filling stations across Anambra.
But the IPMAN chairman said the rules and standards in the sector were set and monitored by the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) of the Federal Government.
He said NMDPRA was empowered by the Petroleum Industry Act to approve, license, monitor, regulate activities in the sector and whoever had complaint should channel it to the authority.
Anyaso said marketers in the state had held meetings with the Commissioner but the issue of the Petroleum Committee had never been discussed.
He said IPMAN and Petroleum Dealers in Anambra had met with the commissioner on his invitation to review the consolidated revenue payable to government and the negotiation was still in progress.
“Marketers in Anambra have drawn my attention to the news that the Anambra government through the Commissioner is planning to set up a petroleum committee which will monitor price and quality of product.
“IPMAN wants to advise that there is no need for that. Section 48(1) of PIA empowers NMDPRA to solely supervise activities of marketers and they have the capacity to do their work. Such committees by states will create confusion,” he said.
Anyaso said the government should develop the industry by working with marketers on easing the challenge of procuring products by collaborating with other States to revitalise the moribund Enugu Depot which had not functioned for about 15 years.
He said the problem of pricing of products was beyond State Governments and that the increase could only be addressed by Federal Government and its agencies.
“For instance, how can Anambra Government enforce petrol at N165 per litre when we are buying N168 per litre at the depot, N2 for loading and about N12 for transportation, landing cost is about N183 per litre? We don’t need additional confusion
