IPMAN Kogi West Rejects Kabba/Bunu Council’s Allegation of Fuel Hoarding, Blames Poor Roads for Scarcity
By Our Correspondent
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Kogi West Zone, has rejected allegations by the Executive Chairman of Kabba/Bunu Local Government Area, Hon. Zacchaeus Dare Michael, accusing filling station operators in Kabba of deliberately shutting their outlets to create artificial scarcity of petroleum products.
IPMAN, in an official rejoinder signed by its Kogi West Chairman, Hon. Toluhi Michael Segun, described the allegation as “false, baselessly accusatory and a gross misrepresentation” of the operational challenges confronting petroleum marketers in the area.
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The association said the current shortage of petroleum products in Kabba and surrounding communities was primarily caused by the deplorable condition of major road networks, which has made the movement of petroleum tankers increasingly difficult and hazardous.
According to IPMAN, heavy-duty tankers transporting petroleum products are often stranded for days on bad roads, while some experience mechanical breakdowns, accidents and prolonged delays before reaching filling stations.
The association maintained that it was unfair to accuse petroleum marketers of deliberately creating scarcity while overlooking the infrastructure challenges affecting the distribution chain.
“IPMAN members in Kabba are patriotic, law-abiding business operators who depend on daily volume sales to sustain their heavy investments, pay staff and service bank loans,” the statement said.
It added that no rational petroleum marketer would deliberately shut down an operational filling station with products in stock, as such action would only result in additional losses through idle operational costs.
IPMAN explained that filling stations currently closed in Kabba were largely out of stock and awaiting fresh supplies, which it said had been delayed by the difficult road conditions along the supply routes.
The association also faulted comparisons between fuel availability in Kabba and other parts of Kogi State and neighbouring towns such as Lokoja, Okene and Ikare.
It argued that petroleum products reaching different locations depend on their respective supply routes, coastal depots, haulage arrangements and road conditions, stressing that the availability of products in one location could not automatically be used as a benchmark for another location facing serious transportation challenges.
On the issue of regulatory authority, IPMAN cautioned against what it described as threats of executive overreach by the Local Government Council.
The association maintained that regulatory oversight of petroleum dispensing, filling station operations and price monitoring falls within the statutory responsibilities of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), rather than the Local Government Council.
It warned that unnecessary confrontation between the council and petroleum marketers could further disrupt the supply chain and worsen the situation for residents.
Rather than engaging in public confrontation, IPMAN urged the Kabba/Bunu Local Government administration to work with relevant state and federal authorities towards the urgent rehabilitation of roads linking Kabba and other communities to petroleum supply routes.
The association said improving the road infrastructure would not only facilitate the regular supply of petroleum products but also reduce transportation costs, improve economic activities and ease the hardship being experienced by residents.
IPMAN Kogi West, however, expressed its readiness to engage the Kabba/Bunu Local Government Council in a peaceful roundtable discussion aimed at finding lasting solutions to the fuel supply challenges in the area.
The association reiterated that its members remained committed to serving the people of Kabba/Bunu and would continue to operate within the law, while urging all stakeholders to address the root causes of the supply challenges rather than shifting blame.
The rejoinder was dated October 5, 2026, and signed by Hon. Toluhi Michael Segun, Chairman, IPMAN Kogi West.
DemocracyNewslineNewspaper October 6th, 2027
