 The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, Ipman, Western Zone, has attributed the increase in the pump price of premium motor spirits to the hike in private depot prices. Chairman of the Zone, Dele Tajedin, announced this in an interview with Newsman on Tuesday in Lagos. While condemning the increase, Tajedin said that there had been an increase in depot price of fuel from 148 naira per litre to 178 naira per litre since last week. According to him, none of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company limited depots have products, and the private depots took advantage of the situation to hike the price. The Ipman chairman said the marketers should not be blamed for the increase in pump price. Tajedin said that selling at 117 naira per litre is not realistic, however, a top official of the depot and petroleum marketers association of Nigeria, who prefer to be anonymous, said that the scarcity was as a result of a shortfall in product allocation from the NNPC.