IPMAN threatens to shut down 400 PMS stations in Cross River, Akwa Ibom

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Calabar, Cross River State depot has threatened to shut down depots and 400 petrol stations owned by its members over incessant police harassment.

IPMAN Calabar depot is made up of over 500 members from Makurdi, Cross River and Akwa Ibom states, who all belong to the Eastern Zone of the assocoation.

The Eastern Zone of the petroleum marketers body has been having a running battle with officers of the Nigeria Police Force over alleged attempts by the police to foist a factional leadership for IPMAN across Enugu, Aba, Rivers, and Cross River.

 When the issue arose in early September, the national president of the association, Alhaji Sanusi Fari, in a statement noted with dismay the incessant attack by men of Nigeria police force at their secretariats in Port Harcourt, Aba, Calabar, Enugu and Makurdi depots and directed its members to  withdraw their services immediately from all loading depots if police harassment continued.

 However, barely three weeks after suspension of the strike following intervention by some top government officers and police authorities, IPMAN Calabar secretariat was allegedly invaded by some crack team of policemen from Federal Housing Police Division Calabar about 6:00pm on Thursday, September 29, 2021.

Speaking to journalists on the matter, the Calabar Depot chairman of IPMAN, Comrade Robert Obi, said it was becoming a habit by the police to not only harass the leadership, but also attempt to impose a factional leadership even when the issues cornering who is the authentic chairmen and national president have been settled by Supreme Court.

Wondering what the interest of police in the affairs of IPMAN was, Obi explained  that the Supreme Court judgment of February 21, 2019 and that of Federal High Court Calabar dated June 19, 2019 had settled the succession tussle “as both judgements recognised automatic succession of the Deputy National President, Alh Sanusi Abdu Fari, as National President of IPMAN, based on 1997 constitution of the association.”

He disclosed that even the legal unit of the police headquarters headed by one CP Daso Oruebo had advised the police to recognise the leadership of Alhji Fari and withdraw from the occupation of national secretariat in Abuja in compliance with the court orders, which incidentally should be extended to other branches having emerged from the same process.

According to him, rather than police authorities enforcing the orders and restoring peace in the association in Eastern zone, they are rather stoking a new fire of disunity and trying to impose a leadership on the members, especially in Calabar depot, thereby creating an unknown faction to take over our secretariat at Calabar depot.

He said: “We want to draw the attention of the general public to the continued harassment of our leadership and some members of IPMAN in the name of enforcing a directive by a top Deputy Inspector-General of Police. We were surprised that on Thursday, 29, 2021 about 6;00pm, a police team from Federal Housing stormed our secretariat and tried to force us out and install an illegal leadership.

“When we confronted them they told us they got orders from above to come and take over our office at Calabar depot. 

“And if this act of impunity continued, we shall not hesitate to withdraw the services of our over 500 members. Besides, we would go further to shut down the over 20 depots in our branch and close down over 400 petrol stations to protest the attack on our office and harassment of our members. We have over suffered in the hands of the police

“The police have no business in how we run our affairs; neither do they have the right to  determine who and who our members are. They have attempted to take over our secretariat in Port Harcourt, our members resisted them there. Now they have come down to Calabar to chase our members out of our secretariat and we shall continue to resist such illegal moves. 

 “Our last option is to embark on an indefinite strike in the days ahead. It is the economy and the public that would suffer the consequences of the strike as other branches would not hesitate to join us in the fight to liberate IPMAN in the zone. So, we call on the Federal Government and police authorities to call their men to order,” he pleader.

Reacting to the allegation of police attacks on their office and plot to install a factional leadership in Calabar, the Cross River State Police Public relation Officer, Irene Ugbo, said the Command was not aware of the latest action.

 “We are not aware that a team of policemen from Federal Housing Division went to IPMAN office to take over the secretariat. We would investigate that and revert,” she assured.