Tankers

By Ejiofor Alike

The Western Zone of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has explained that the ongoing rationing of fuel supply within the depots in the south western parts of the country is as a result of the vandalised pipeline at Arepo area of Ogun State.

IPMAN has also condemned the recent killings of the officials of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) by pipeline vandals in Arepo and called on relevant authorities to stop such act of sabotage of the socio-economic development of the country.

The South-West Zonal Chairman of IPMAN, Mr Olumide Ogunmade said in a joint communiqué at the weekend that the group would support the NNPC and its subsidiary, Pipelines and Products Marketing Company (PPMC) in whatever action they would take to restore pumping of products into the System 2B pipeline, which supply petroleum products to the western part of the country.

“We commiserate with the management of NNPC/PPMC on their members of staff that were attacked at Arepo in the cause of repairing the vandalised pipeline and whose whereabouts are unknown till now. We promise to support the management of NNPC/PPMC in whatever action they will take in restoring the System 2B pipeline in the shortest possible period,’’ he said.

Ogunmade urged the Federal Government not to surrender to vandals and ensure the repairs of System 2B pipeline, stressing that the adverse effect of not having the pipeline functional would result in scarcity of products all over the country.

He said the vandalised line has affected supply of products through the system 2B to all depots across both the Northern and Western part of the country.

“Strong mechanism should be put in place to checkmate activities of vandalise within NNPC pipeline network. We also urged the National Assembly should put in place laws that will ensure that vandal are punished,” he said.