Oil marketing companies, under the aegis of Major Oil Marketers
Association of Nigeria (MPMAN), are planning to embark on a nationwide
strike in few days’ time over the unpaid N356billion debt the Federal
Government is owing them.
The firms are Oando, Total, MRS, Conoil, Forte Oil and Mobil. MOMAN’s Executive Secretary, Femi Olawore, said the firms were
running out of stock and the hope of getting money for importation to
replenish their stock was not feasible.
He said Apapa stock would run
out in the next three and a half days.
He said the body had written the Minister of Petroleum Resources, Mrs
Deazani Alison-Madueke, on the issue of paying the debt to enable the
firms get enough money to import petroleum products, adding that the
government was yet to do something concrete in this regard.
He said it had become imperative for the firms to embark on strike in
order to press home their demands, adding that the plan to embark on
strike was not politically motivated. He said the body would have embarked on strike during the
electioneering, but had to stop to avoid a situation where people would
be reading political meanings to their actions.
He said marketers were pushing for the strike because they had been pushed to the wall by the government. He said the association had agreed to reduce its operation
drastically, following the government’s refusal to meet its debt
obligations. He said: “Out motive is not political at all because many people
would be asking this question: Why is major marketers planning strike
action now? It is just that we can no longer continue to be owed by the
government.
“Our operation has been grounded to a halt, hence the strike. Part of
our resolves is to streamline our operation by cutting down cost of
staff welfare, shut down our outlets across the country and others , if
the government fails to meet our demands. “Imagine a situation whereby major oil marketers are battling to
survive. Before, we are supplying 60 per cent of feul in the market, but
now supply has reduced to 40 per cent because there was not enough
money for importation.’’
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