Petrol Marketers Not Going On Strike – IPMAN

• IPMAN has distanced itself from the strike plans of Tafida Suleiman
• IPMAN denies extortion charge leveled against PTD of NUPENG
• IPMAN implores the FG to issue an importation license

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has distanced itself from what it called misleading comments made by one Tafida Suleiman, who is preparing oil marketers to go on strike despite the fact that there are no such plans.

IPMAN’s President, Debo Ahmed, told journalists in Abuja over the weekend that the Association has no plans to shut down operations because doing so would cause more hardship for Nigerians and jeopardise President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s efforts to clean up the petroleum industry.

Ahmed, speaking through IPMAN Secretary Mr John Kekeocha, also denied the extortion charge levelled against the Petroleum Tankers Division (PTD) of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), insisting that no tanker is forced to pay N150,000 or N200,000 before or after loading.

According to the IPMAN scribe, Suleiman and his group are “a gathering of economic saboteurs who want to sabotage Mr. President’s efforts in addressing the issue of petroleum scarcity and over-bloated subsidy payments that necessitated its removal.”

He also advised members to go about their businesses and ensure the availability of petroleum products in order to run the economy efficiently.

IPMAN is an association that runs its affairs in line with the 1997 constitution as affirmed by the Supreme Court. People should not drag the association into crisis with their egocentric interest and bad politics.

The National exco is saddled with the responsibility of interfacing with other stakeholders. The allegation of planning to go on strike over allegation of extortion does not hold water as no such money is paid to anyone.

Security agencies should be alert to arrest and prosecute those who want themselves to be used to frustrate the efforts of this administration.

We are in co-operation with PTD of NUPENG and other sister associations.

We implore the FG to issue an importation license to IPMAN to enable us to compete with other actors in a deregulated regime, Kekeocha stated.