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Marketers to Crash Petrol Price through importation

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2 years ago

November 9, 2024

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By Kayode Sanni-Arewa

Petroleum marketers in the country say there is no going back in their plan to import fuel from outside the country to crash the price of the product.

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria and the Petroleum Products Retail Outlets Owners Association of Nigeria last week insisted on fuel importation after accusing the Dangote refinery of selling fuel to Nigerians at an exorbitant price.

The marketers are now awaiting approvals from the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to facilitate these imports, which they argue would offer relief to consumers facing financial strain following the removal of fuel subsidies.

To proceed with the imports, the marketers have requested access to foreign exchange from the CBN and regulatory permits from NMDPRA to ensure compliance with quality and standards for the fuel they plan to bring into the country.

However, the NMDPRA has denied claims that it has granted IPMAN and PETROAN permission to import petrol as associations. According to an NMDPRA official, who spoke on condition of anonymity, only individual marketers—not associations—can apply for import licenses. The source emphasized that individual applications are mandated by law.

“The truth of the matter is that they can’t apply for petrol import license as a body or association. Individual marketers have to apply by themselves before they can be granted that license. They have to apply by themselves. We are not going to give the permit jointly so they can’t apply as an association,” the source said.

Responding to the development, PETROAN’s National Public Relations Officer, Dr. Joseph Obele, disclosed that the association had applied for an import license about a month ago through its newly established trading wing. He described Dangote as an “aggressive competitor” with intentions to dominate the market.

“You should know that Dangote is just out to close all the doors and windows so that no person enters the market. He is determined to ensure that nobody enters the market as a competitor. We assure Nigerians that as soon as the regulatory agency approves our authority to import, this price of PMS that is causing pain to Nigerians right now will crash to the barest minimum,” Obele stated.

Dr. Obele further argued that the product PETROAN aims to import would be of high quality, potentially surpassing the standards of the Dangote refinery. He urged Nigerians to support efforts to dismantle market monopolies.

“We call on Nigerians to support the call for dismantling monopolies so that we can liberate the market; otherwise, we will remain in the trap we are. We are trapped at the moment; we are trapped with exploitation, and the only way out of the trap is to dismantle every dimension of monopoly and we are calling on Nigerians to support us,” he said.

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Congress moves to halt US assistance to Nigeria over FG’s failure to protect citizens

Published

1 hour ago

July 16, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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The United States House of Representatives has endorsed an amendment that would increase the withholding of certain US assistance to Nigeria from 50 percent to 100 percent until the country takes effective steps to address violence and improve the protection of its citizens.

The amendment, proposed by Representative Gregory Steube of Florida’s 17th Congressional District, was adopted by a voice vote on Wednesday.

The House had earlier proposed withholding 50 percent of funds appropriated for Nigeria until the US Secretary of State certifies that the Nigerian government has taken “effective steps to prevent and respond to violence and hold perpetrators accountable”.

Under the new amendment, the withholding would increase to 100 percent, while retaining the same conditions for the release of the funds.

Speaking in support of his motion, Steube said withholding only 50 percent of the funds appeared to reward the Nigerian government “despite failure to meet its fundamental obligation to protect citizens”.

“I rise in strong support for my amendment to increase the withholding threshold for assistance to Nigeria, from 50 percent to 100 percent. While keeping in place benchmarks that demand Nigeria take effective steps to address the violence and persecution that continue to devastate the country.

“Nigeria has faced a horrific wave of violence that its corrupt government has failed to address.

“For years, and especially in recent months, Christians and other religious minorities in Nigeria have been subjected to violence and terrorism at the hands of extremists operating with impunity.

“Christian women and girls continue to be abducted, assaulted, tortured, and killed. Their churches are burned, and entire communities are erased.

“If the aid conditions included in the bill are important enough to withhold half of all the funding to the Nigerian government, then they are important enough to withhold all of the funding.

“The generosity of our taxpayers is a reflection of the American values we hold so firmly.

“Never should we allow their hard earned tax dollars to be funnelled to corrupt regimes that fail to uphold religious freedom, fail to adequately confront terrorism, and fail to protect the innocent from persecution.

“So, why are we rewarding a government that fails to meet such a basic obligation?”

Steube said it is absurd to expend foreign aid to Nigeria in the face of rising insecurity, especially as America’s national debt approaches $40 trillion,” Gregory Steube stated.

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If Umahi’s daughter was found naked and dead in a poor man’s house Nigeria would’ve been on fire-Dalung

Published

4 hours ago

July 16, 2026

EMMANUEL AGAJI

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Ex- Minister of Youth and Sports, Barrister Solomon Dalung, has criticised what he described as double standards in the investigation into the death of physiotherapist Mary Habila, saying the public response would have been entirely different if the victim had been the daughter of a government official

Dalung made the remark while reacting to the controversy surrounding Habila’s death at the country residence of the Minister of Works, David Umahi, in Uburu, Ohaozara Local Government Area of Ebonyi State.

Speaking in a video shared on social media, the former minister questioned the pace and manner of the investigation, arguing that ordinary Nigerians are often subjected to harsher scrutiny than powerful public office holders.

“If Umahi’s daughter had been found naked in a poor man’s house, Nigeria would be burning,” Dalung said, suggesting that the circumstances surrounding Habila’s death would have attracted a different level of public outrage and official response if the roles had been reversed.

Mary Habila, a 26-year-old physiotherapist from Kaduna State, was found dead at Umahi’s residence on June 27, 2026. She was reportedly attached to the David Umahi Federal University of Health Sciences and had been seconded to the Federal Ministry of Works.

Umahi has since confirmed the incident, describing Habila as a dedicated member of staff who had worked with him for about three years. He said emergency medical personnel were contacted immediately after she was found unresponsive and disclosed that he advised the family to consent to an autopsy to determine the exact cause of death.

The minister has repeatedly denied allegations of any cover-up, insisting that he has nothing to hide and supports a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding the physiotherapist’s death.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Police Force transferred the case to the Ebonyi State Criminal Investigation Department (CID) for further investigation, as public interest in the incident continues to grow.

Dalung’s remarks add to the increasing calls for transparency and accountability in the investigation, with many Nigerians demanding that the case be thoroughly investigated and that its outcome be made public regardless of the status of those involved.