Petrol scarcity looms as IPMAN moves to shut down filling stations

A fresh petrol scarcity appears to be looming as the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has threatened to shut down all filling stations across the country over the alleged illegal invasion of its national secretariat by the Nigerian police.

IPMAN warned that it might also cut down supplies from tomorrow should the federal government and Inspector General of Police fail to address alleged illegalities perpetrated by the police force.

This was made known by the National Public Relations Officer (PRO) of IPMAN, Mr Yakubu Suleiman, on Sunday during an interaction with journalists in Jos.

Some men of the Nigerian Police Force were alleged to have invaded IPMAN National Secretariat last Friday for some undisclosed reasons, according to a report from Thisday. Suleiman described the invasion as an illegal clampdown allegedly sponsored by some impostors parading themselves as executives of IPMAN.

What the IPMAN National Officer is saying
Suleiman said aggrieved members and officials at State, zonal and depot levels have met and resolved to shut down filling stations over the incident.

He said, “Whereas there is subsisting Supreme Court judgment of December 2018, that has since disposed of a suit No. SC15/2015, and ordered that Mr Chinedu Okoronkwo, is our President and Alhaji Danladi Garba Pasali, as National secretary.

The continued violation of this judgment, even by the police is causing more harm to the downstream sector of the petroleum industry, which if such is not halted will lead to impunity and anarchy.’’

While pointing out that a similar police siege led to the closure of Suleja depot last week, he claimed that the incident would have disrupted petroleum products supplies to Abuja and northern states but for the intervention of the National Secretariat.

Suleiman said, “It is true that members of IPMAN in many states across sections of Nigeria, have met and others are meeting and communicating to us that they will shut down, from Tuesday. The implications would be there will be a shortage or fuel scarcity in the country.’’

The IPMAN PRO called on the Chief Justice of the Federation, the Federal Ministry of Petroleum Resources, NNPC, the National Assembly and Inspector General of Police to intervene in the crisis in order to protect laid down rule of law.

He said, “We are calling on all arms of government including the security agencies to take the necessary action, towards halting impunity in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.’’

What you should know
IPMAN has been enmeshed in crisis for some time now as there have been protracted legal battles over the authentic leadership of the National Executive Committee of the association since 2014.

The Supreme Court had on December 14, 2018, delivered judgment in the case brought by Chief Obasi Lawson against Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo and 10 others, confirming Okoronkwo as the authentic leader of IPMAN’s national body and by extension, all the state executives put in place by him.

However, not satisfied with all the judgments won by Okoronkwo and his group at the lower, Appeal and Supreme Courts, Lawson in another suit instituted by Mr Ben Dimkpa and four others for themselves, as representatives of IPMAN members, Eastern zone, against the Registered Trustees of IPMAN headed by Aminu Abdulkadir and others, headed to the Federal High Court, Calabar and secured judgment against the Okoronkwo-backed Board of Trustees (BOT) and others, despite subsisting judgments from the Court of Appeal and the Supreme Court.