IPMAN pledges  support  for government  gas expansion programme 

Chinazor Megbolu     |    

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has said they’re ready to lend support to the Federal Government’s policy on the National Gas Expansion Programme (NGEP).

IPMAN made the declaration on Sunday, saying the reason behind supporting the federal government was to help deepen the use of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG) and AutoGas Compressed Natural Gas (CNG) in the country.

The National Secretary, IPMAN, Alhaji Danladi Pasali, in his address in Abuja, said the resolution was arrived at after the IPMAN’s Central Working Committee (CWC) meeting held in Kano State.

He noted that the IPMAN Board of Trustees (BOT) and CWC deliberated on important issues bothering on the operations of the association in the downstream sector as well as recommended partnership with stakeholders.

Pasali further stated that IPMAN was also in support of the proposed deregulation of the downstream sector of the nation’s economy.

“IPMAN is in support of the quick passage of the Petroleum Industry Bill (PIB) by the National Assembly, with the inclusion of IPMAN representatives on the board of all relevant agencies, to protect the interest of members and the public.

“IPMAN will support the Petroleum Equalisation Fund Management Board (PEFMB) and efforts should also be made to collaborate with its members in funding the gas expansion programme.

“IPMAN would also support the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) as it related to the Downstream Remote Monitoring System (DRMS), especially as it recognised Nigeria Legal Diversion of Petroleum Product (NLDPP), with licensed IPMAN members, and stop illegal diversion,” Pasali said.

He, however, said the union had also reached out to DPR in order to support IPMAN, with marginal oil fields directly, so as to enable it to construct modular refineries.

Pasali pointed out that the group is happy with the readiness of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) to supply gas to the IPMAN members directly, adding that the continuous supply of petroleum products, using the latest technology and ensuring best practices in the operations is key.

Pasali also used the opportunity to thank the DPR, NNPC and the Petroleum Equalisation Fund (PEF) for sending their representatives to the meeting