From Olanrewaju Lawal, Ilorin.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Western Zone, has declared its readiness to build local refinery that would refine crude oil in Nigeria.
The association also urged Federal Government to embark on refining Nigeria crude oil locally as a preventive measure to add value to nation’s economy.
The Marketers noted that government should utilise the advantage of the discovery of Shell oil in America and China by refining the crude oil locally for prosperity of the country.
The Vice- Chairman South West Zone of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Alhaji Debo Ahmed who stated this in Ilorin, while fielding question from Journalists on the state of the nation shortly after his inauguration into the new office along his colleague ,Alhaji Akorede who was appointed as the Special Assistant to the national President on Projects dsiclosed that IPMAN would establish it refinery soon.
Ahmed noted that it was imperative to stop the sales of crude oils now in Nigeria due to the outcome of the discovery of Shell Oil in USA and China.
He said, the country has no reason to panic on the new world development on the prices of crude as the nation has the largest product readymade market in the country.
” Nigeria has a readymade market ,we need to take advantage of our population in African continent and stop the sales of crude oil ,once we can refine it and add value to it the country will benefit immensely in the variety of products that will be produced from the crude” .
While speaking on the issue of pipeline vandalization, Ahmed said the association will continue to collaborate with security agencies to ensure that the problem was reduced to the barest minimum.
He also commended the efforts of the federal government for empowering the security agencies to fight oil theft and other related crimes associated with crude oil exploration in the country.
Ahmed further assured the people of the South West zone and the country in general of the determination of the association to ensure availability of products across the nooks and cranny of the country despite the daunting challenges.
He urged members of the association to remain united and support the developmental programmes of the executives.
In his remark the newly appointed Special Assistant to the National President of IPMAN on Projects Alhaji Akorede Lola Muibi disclosed that the association has a lot of developmental projects that will impact positively on the prosperity of members.
He noted that the association is determined to execute the projects to support oil industry development.
Earlier in his welcome address, the National President of IPMAN, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo said the inauguration of the newly elected members was meant to fill the vacant positions in the association’s executives.
He urged the newly sworn in executives to strive hard and ensure they justify the confidence repose on them by members.
