Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPC) has reached an agreement to supply petrol to the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) at a price of N995 per litre.

This deal comes after mediation by the Department of State Services (DSS), which helped resolve the standoff between the two parties.

As part of the agreement, the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) is set to pay IPMAN an outstanding N10 billion.

The negotiations also cover issues around sourcing fuel from the Dangote Refinery.

Hammed Fashola, the National Vice President of IPMAN, praised the DSS for its role in resolving the dispute, noting that the price difference in fuel— a major factor causing long queues at filling stations— is expected to narrow.

Currently, independent marketers are selling petrol for around N1,200 per litre, but with the new N995 per litre ex-depot price, retail prices may drop.

However, additional factors such as transportation costs could still influence final prices at the pump.

IPMAN is also negotiating with the Dangote Refinery to secure more direct purchasing options, while maintaining its relationship with NNPC to ensure favorable pricing for its members.

Previously, IPMAN raised concerns that NNPC was selling petrol bought from the Dangote Refinery at N898 per litre, but independent marketers were being charged up to N1,050 in certain areas.

Discussions are ongoing to resolve these price discrepancies, which have affected supply chains and put independent marketers at a disadvantage.

ROAMAN NEWS 

Fifteen-year-old Aliangel Jose Rodriguez was driven by curiosity to join a protest after Venezuela’s disputed presidential election in late July, his mother recalled.

What seemed like a simple outing turned into something much more serious. Rodriguez ended up arrested, one of many minors caught in the country’s ongoing political turmoil, according to his family and human rights advocates.

“A boy who is always studying… cannot be labelled a terrorist,” his mother Maria Tovar said tearfully from their humble home in Carabobo, a region roughly 110 miles west of the capital, Caracas.

Data from Foro Penal, a Venezuelan human rights organization, reveals that Carabobo has the highest concentration of so-called “political prisoners,” with 297 out of 1,916 cases recorded nationwide. Of these detainees, 70 are between the ages of 14 and 17.

Since July 29, just a day after the election, Venezuelan authorities have arrested 1,784 people, many facing charges such as “terrorism” or “incitement to hatred,” which carry prison terms ranging from 10 to 30 years, Foro Penal reports.

“Even the most hardened criminals wouldn’t get a 10-year sentence for something they didn’t do, simply for stepping onto a highway to watch some lights,” Tovar said, her voice breaking, her well-worn Bibles lying nearby.

During one of her visits to the detention center, Rodriguez confided in her that he had attempted to take his own life just three days prior, overwhelmed by the sight of another young detainee being sentenced to 10 years in prison.

“I only ask the president to have compassion, and to reconsider the cases of all the children,” Tovar pleaded, addressing Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. “It’s not just my son. There are 14 minors.”

Foro Penal confirms that at least 80 teenagers arrested during the protests have since been released, including four from Carabobo.

“None of these children are politically involved, they don’t vote,” said Dennys Benitez, whose 17-year-old son, Luis David Lopez, remains imprisoned. “Sadly, they were in the wrong place at the wrong time and were arbitrarily imprisoned.”

ROAMAN NEWS