Onome Amuge
Dangote Petroleum Refinery has clarified its position on a recent issue involving the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) by stating that no payments have been received from IPMAN for the purchase of refined petroleum products.
The company’s response, Business a.m gathered, is concerning claims made by IPMAN that the association was having difficulties lifting petrol from the refinery due to an alleged N40 billion payment made to NNPCL.
In a statement titled “IPMAN: Setting the Record Straight”, Dangote Petroleum Refinery stated that it has not entered into any direct business arrangements with the association.
The company explained that although it is in discussions with IPMAN, it is not directly involved in the loading of refined products for IPMAN members and cannot be held responsible for any payments made to other entities.
Dangote stressed that the payment in question was made directly to the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), and not to Dangote, and that NNPCL has not approved the release of its petrol to IPMAN.
“We would like to emphasise that we can meet the nation’s demand for all petroleum products, including petrol, diesel, and aviation fuel. At present, we can load 2,900 trucks per day and we have also been evacuating petroleum products by sea. We advise IPMAN to register with us and make direct payment as we have more than enough petroleum products to satisfy the needs of their members.
Furthermore, we believe it is instructive for all stakeholders to refrain from making unfounded statements in the media, as that could undermine the economic re-engineering efforts of His Excellency, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Conducting business through public speculation is counterproductive and unpatriotic,” the company stated.
In a call for cooperation among stakeholders, Dangote Petroleum Refinery urged all parties to follow the advice of President Tinubu and work towards a unified approach, rather than resorting to media disputes and unnecessary propaganda.
