The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has directed its members around the country to close operations and shut their filling stations.
IPMAN chairman, Mohammed Kuluwu who gave the directive in a statement on Tuesday, said it became necessary as the insistence of the government to impose a price regime was having a negative impact on the businesses of IPMAN members.
Nigerians have said this will worsen the hardship they have been subjected to in the last few days, due to scarcity of Premium Motor Spirit (PMS) also know as petrol which price has skyrocketed alongside unavailability of new Naira notes.
It would be recalled that the Governor of Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Godwin Emefiele had shifted the deadline for the swapping of old naira notes from January 31st to February 10th. However, Nigerians are still complaining about non availability of the new naira notes which imposed untold hardship on Nigerians.
The long queues at banks and filing stations across the country, especially when general elections are approaching, have been a major concern for Nigerians and this had led to pockets of violent protests here and there.
President Muhammadu Buhari had also pleaded with Nigerians to give him seven days to address the scarcity of new Naira notes, which many have described as empty promise.