The Independent Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Western zone, has urged Nigerians to stop panic buying petrol, assuring them that fuel scarcity would soon ease off.

IPMAN Zonal Chairman, Western Zone, Alhaji Dele Tajudeen, gave the assurance on Tuesday in Ibadan, while speaking with newsmen.

Tajudeen said that there was no directive stopping its members from continuing with their operations, pointing out that the speculation on shutting down of filling stations was not from the association.

He was reacting to the speculations making the rounds that IPMAN had directed its members to stop operations and shut down their filling stations to protest the hike in the price of fuel.

Tajudeen said that IPMAN has units, and zones and that its South-West zone comprised Lagos, Sapele, Ibadan, Ore, Ilorin and Mosimi Depots, pointing out that none of them had been directed to shut down their operations.

He said that such a directive was from Maiduguri Depot, stressing that it doesn’t affect members of IPMAN in other parts of Nigeria, particularly in the South-West region.

On the lingering fuel scarcity, Tajudeen said the situation would soon improve gradually.

IPMAN said that its members had been directed to buy the product from NNPC and not from the private depot owners so that they can sell at the official rate.