By Rose Nwankwu (Anambra State Correspondent)

Should the Federal Government of Nigeria fail to reactivate the paralyzed Emene Enugu Petrol Depot, the pump price of petroleum product, otherwise known as Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) may cost more in the entire Igbo states of the South East geo-political zone.

This warning was given on Friday in Awka, Anambra State by the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Enugu depot.

Mr Chinedu Anyaso, Chairman of the Enugu Depot of IPMAN, while reacting to the recent increase in the pump price of petrol and the challenges faced by marketers in the zone, disclosed in an interview with newsmen that the depot had been lying moribund since 2005.

Anyaso said the depot was strategic to the national economy, adding that it was serving Anambra, Ebonyi, Enugu, parts of Imo, Abia, Cross River and the North-Central zone, including Benue State.

The Enugu IPMAN Chairman described the cost of transporting products from Lagos, Warri, Benin, Calabar and other locations as huge. According to him, marketers do not get their equalisation fund as at when due.

He said that marketers in the zone were incurring huge losses due to incessant road crashes and spill involving their trucks as a result of the poor state of the roads. “We want to use this opportunity to renew our appeal to the federal government to repair the Emene depot in Enugu so that our members can start loading products from here.

“This depot has been shut down for over 15 years due to what they called pipeline vandalism. Our members are suffering and the people of the southeast and other areas that source products from the depot are suffering. For instance, ex-depot price has been increased to N151.56, we will have to pay additional N14 for transportation and other expenses per litre, depending on where we loaded the products before it is discharged in our stations.

“That will not be the case, if the product is pumped to the depot in Enugu and lifted from there. It will be much cheaper for us and it will enable us to sell between N160 and N162 per litre. We are ready to work with the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) on security of the pipelines. And fixing the Enugu Depot will also help a better deregulated sector, which the federal government is pursuing,” Anyaso said.

The Enugu IPMAN chairman however stated that petrol might be sold for N170 in the southeast because of cost of delivering the products at the stations in the zone. He called on members of the association in the zone to continue to provide quality services to the people to the best of their ability.

Anyasonfurther called on the governments of the states that depend on the depot to complement IPMAN’s efforts to get the facility running again as soon as possible. According to him, it is not just about profit for IPMAN members, it is about value for money for the people in these states. ( Source: NAN). NNL.