N50bn unpaid claims: North may face fuel scarcity soon, marketers warn

Northern independent petroleum marketers have cried out to the federal government over the non-payment of N50 billion bridging claim…

N50bn unpaid claims: North may face fuel scarcity soon, marketers warn

Northern independent petroleum marketers have cried out to the federal government over the non-payment of N50 billion bridging claim allegedly being owed them by the defunct Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF).

The marketers, through their platform, Northern Independent Petroleum Marketers Forum (NIPMF), expressed worry that the failure to settle their claims might lead to scarcity of fuel in the North as majority of them were running out of capital, hence could not buy and transport fuel to the region.

The Chairman of the forum, Alhaji Musa Yahaya Maikifi, said for the past nine month they had committed effort to get their money paid without success.

 “If this continues in this way, many of us will have to close down our fuel stations. This will add to the fuel scarcity in the region because the marketers have no capital,” he said.

The forum urged President Muhammadu Buhari and the Minister of State for Petroleum to intervene in the matter to help them sustain their business.