Economy
Give Us Petrol at Official Ex-depot Price, lPMAN Tasks NNPC
Ejigbo Satellite Depot of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has urged the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Ltd. (NNPCL) to give same window given to Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN) to buy fuel at regulated depot price of N148.17 per litre.
The Chairman of IPMAN Ejigbo Depot, Mr Akin Akinrinade, made the appeal in Lagos yesterday while addressing the media on the price disparity of petrol to IPMAN members by depot owners.
Akinrinade wondered why private depots get petrol from NNPCL at official rate of N148.
17 per litre but sell at N220 per liter ex-depot price to IPMAN.He, however, issued seven days ultimatum to NNPCL to work out a concrete arrangement for IPMAN to buy fuel at regulated price of N148.
17 per litre.He said that lPMAN had an agreement with NNPCL on fuel supply but has refused to adhere to the agreement.
“We have noticed the price disparity at which NNPC is selling petrol to major marketers at regulated price and the private depot are selling to the independent marketers at N220 per litre.
“Major marketers are selling at the rate of N170 per litre in their stations and retail outlets are selling at N169 at their stations.
“The private depots are selling ex-depot price at N220 per litre to us, which means that after paying N220 per litre, we still have to add other costs like transportation, logistics among other costs.”
According to the chairman, this has led to an increase in the price of petrol at IPMAN stations, adding that members now sell at N250 per litre and above to stay in business.
“We are no longer comfortable with this because Nigerians now see us as the black sheep.
“So, we want Nigerians to know that it is not of our making and that the authorities should address the issues around the price disparity”.
Akinrinade said that members found themselves in such situation due to moribund NNPCL depots that were neglected.
“We loaded here last at satellite depot in Lagos since December 2021, but, throughout 2022, we have not load a drop of product here.
“Ordinarily, NNPC is supposed to make arrangement for us to load through the private depots but they have abandoned that arrangement.
“That is why we have no choice but to buy from the private depot owners who use us to make money.
“I wonder why they are now selling to us at N220 per litre,” he said.
“Petrol is regulated and held in trust for Nigerians, why are private depots owners profiteering?.
“We are all commission agents in the petroleum business as long as the product is been subsidised.
“We are using this medium again to call on NNPC to make arrangement for IPMAN through the private depots such that we can load in those depots as we used to, paying government regulated price.
“Before now we used to buy at the rate of N148 and with that, we can sell at N170 but it is no longer so because the private depots are selling to us at the rate of N220 per litre ex-depot price,” Akinrinade said.
Akinrinade said that IPMAN was simply asking for fair competition, adding that the competition was no longer fair.
He said that lPMAN members were losing customers because they could no longer buy at the price of N250 and above. (NAN)
Economy
Investors Gain N183bn on NGX
The Nigerian Exchange Ltd. (NGX) continued its bullish trend on Wednesday, gaining N183 billion.
Accordingly, the market capitalisation, which opened at N59.532 trillion, gained N184 billion or 0.31 per cent to close at N59.715 trillion.
The All-Share Index also added 0.31 per cent or 303 points, to settle at 98,509.
68, against 98,206. 97 recorded on Tuesday.Consequently, the Year-To-Date (YTD) return increased to 31.
74 per cent.Gains in Aradel Holdings, Zenith Bank, United Bank For Africa(UBA), Oando Plc, Nigerian Breweries among other advanced equities drove the market performance up.
Market breadth closed positive with 34 gainers and 17 losers.
On the gainers’ chart, Africa Prudential, Conoil and RT Briscoe led by 10 per cent each to close at N14.30, N352 and N2.42 per share, respectively.
Golden Guinea Breweries followed by 9.95 per cent to close at N7.18, while NEM Insurance rose by 9.74 per cent to close at N10.70 per share.
On the other hand, Julius Berger led the losers’ chart by 10 per cent to close at N155.25, Secure Electronic Technology Plc trailed by 9.52 per cent to close at 57k per share.
Multiverse lost 7.63 per cent to close at N5.45, Haldane McCall dropped 6.07 per cent to close at N4.95 and Honeywell Flour shed 5.62 per cent to close at N4.70 per share.
Analysis of the market activities showed trade turnover settled lower relative to the previous session, with the value of transactions down by 49.44 per cent.
A total of 320.10 million shares valued at N6.48 billion were exchanged in 7,943 deals, compared with 939.41 million shares valued at N12.81billion traded in 9,098 deals posted in the previous session.
Meanwhile, ETranzact led the activity chart in volume with 70.27 million shares, while Aradel led in value of deals worth N1.22 billion.(NAN)
Economy
Yuan Weakens to 7.1870 Against Dollar
The central parity rate of the Chinese currency renminbi, or the Yuan, weakened 22 pips to 7.1870 against the dollar on Monday.This is according to the China Foreign Exchange Trade System.In China’s spot foreign exchange market, the Yuan is allowed to rise or fall by two per cent from the central parity rate each trading day.
The central parity rate of the Yuan against the dollar is based on a weighted average of prices offered by market makers before the opening of the interbank market each business day. (Xinhua/NAN)Economy
Bring Kaduna Refinery Back into Operation, Youth Group Urges NNPCL
Arewa Youths Initiative for Energy Reforms (AYIFER), has urged Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation Limited (NNPCL) to do everything possible to bring Kaduna Refinery back into operation.
National Coordinator of the group, Mr Bashir Al’Amin, stated this in a statement issued on Friday in Abuja.
Al’Amin specifically called on the Chief Executive Officer of NNPCL, Mallam Mele Kyari, to do all within his powers to rejuvenate the refinery and bring it up to global standard.
He said that having delivered the Port Harcourt refinery, coupled with the establishment of Dangote Refinery in Lagos, attention should be shifted to Kaduna refinery for easy spread of petroleum products.
“We are calling on Malam Mele Kyari to expedite action on Kaduna refinery so we can be at par with other regions in the country.
“We equally beg the NNPCL to do professional work in rehabilitating the old refinery and deliver a standard and functional petrochemical refinery and not a blending plant.
“Kyari should resist any temptation that could make him do something that can jeopardise his good image,” he said.
Al’Amin said that since the extinction of groundnut pyramid and textiles in Kano State as well as PAN in Kaduna State and with the Kaduna refinery getting moribund, a lot of youths had lost their jobs.
According to him, all their hopes in the north are tied to the legacy refinery, expressing the hope that God would use Kyari to deliver it well and on time.
He said that the group was solidly behind NNPCL in prayer and would be ready to celebrate the company if its expectations were met. (NAN)