The northern Independent Petroleum Marketers Forum suspended its planned strike after reaching an agreement with the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) in Abuja last night.
A statement by the General Manager, Corporate
Communication department of the Authority, Kimchi Apollos, said the NMDPRA
moved in swiftly to apprehend the planned strike as the regulators of the sector.
He said: “In line with the mandate of The Nigerian
Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) to collaborate
with industry stakeholders in ensuring uninterrupted supply of Premium Motor
Spirit (PMS) throughout the nation, The Authority held a meeting with the
Northern Independent Petroleum Marketers Forum (NIPMF) on 5th and 6th September
2022 with the participation of the NNPC Limited.”
Apollos explained that previous engagements and
yesterday’s meeting addressed issues regarding bridging claims and other
matters.
“The Authority would like to reiterate that payment
of bridging claims is an ongoing process and payments are disbursed as it is
received from marketers.”
The Authority Chief Executive (ACE), Engr Farouk
Ahmed said the Authority has disbursed a total of N103,037,183,922.91 Naira
between December 2021 to August 2022.
Following the extensive deliberations between the
parties, the Authority further commits to fast-track the settlement of all
outstanding claims when received from marketers after due verification and
reconciliation. NIPMF has agreed to work with the NMDPRA to ensure the free
flow of petroleum products nationwide.
The NMDPRA affirmed that it will continue to carry
out its mandate as stipulated in the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA} which
includes promoting and ensuring the continuous and efficient operations of the
midstream and downstream sectors in the country.