By Oluwatoyin Amao
The Depot and Petroleum Products Marketers Association of Nigeria (DAPPMAN) has suspended its earlier directive to commence shutdown of
depots across the country from loading petroleum products effective from today.
The suspension directive was conveyed in a statement issued by DAPPMA’s
Executive Secretary, Olufemi Adewole on Monday morning in Lagos.
The statement recalls that the association had issued a shut down directive to its members following the continuing indebtedness of the Federal Government to petroleum marketers.
“However, following the intervention of well meaning Nigerians including the National Assembly as represented by the Senate Committee of Petroleum Downstream and constructive engagement of the Federal Government team by the labour unions most affected by the disengagement of our personnel, namely, PENGASSAN, NUPENG NARTO, and the PTD, DAPPAM.
“The union has resolved to recall its disengaged personnel for 5-days to give the FG’s team the opportunity to conclude its process of paying marketers the full outstanding of N800 billion with the first trench being the amount already approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).
“The association has acted in good faith to avoid unnecessary hardship which could befall Nigerians during the yuletide season and we hope that government would make good its promise to see that those issues are resolved by Friday, Dec., 14, 2018 as promised.
“To this, end, our disengaged personnel would be recalled on Monday, Dec. 10 and considering the reactivation time or hitherto shut down system, all depots with fuel stock should be fully active same day,” the statement said.
The statement said further that the conclusion of the debts payment would curtail the continuing wastage of public funds as interest accruing on the over N800 billion debt.
It would be recalled that on Dec. 9 at about 8.30pm, DAPPAMAN had directed its members to shut down all loading operations by midnight, adding that oil marketers had disengaged employees due to their inability to pay salaries.
It said that the association took a bold step to stop the financial hemorrhaging of its members by the painful disengagement of its loyal workers after over three years of engaging with the government in the efforts to secure the payment of all subsidy induced debt owed marketers.
