Anambra: IPMAN Petitions Gov Soludo Over Alleged Harassment of Marketers

By George OPARA

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has petitioned Anambra state Governor, Chukwuma Soludo against some officials of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources for allegedly harassing and intimidating its members in the state.

IPMAN raised the objection through a letter to Soludo entitled “An Appeal To Stop Forthwith, Undue Harassment and Intimidation of our Members”.

The letter jointly endorsed by Mr Chinedu Anyaso and Mr Emeka Iloafor, Chairman and Secretary respectively of IPMAN, Enugu Depot Community, in charge of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States was made available to newsmen in Awka on Wednesday.

The organization said it was protesting alleged invasion of outlets by agents of the ministry, who were acting on a memo which engaged Divine Rapture Company as consultants to monitor and report ‘illegal activities’ within the oil and gas value chain.

The letter, signed by the Permanent Secretary and dated March 15, this year empowered Divine Rapture Company to monitor illegal bunkering, identify production and distribution of substandard petroleum products and gather intelligence on unlawful mining.

But the marketers called on Soludo to stop the ministry and its agents from their activities and stay off members’ outlets to forestall breakdown of law and order.

It explained that the regulation of the midstream and downstream operations rested with the Nigeria Midstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority( NMDPRA) uunder the Petroleum industry Act 2021, pointing out that the action of the ministry and its agent contravened section 48 (1) of the PIA 2021 which conferred powers of regulation and guideline, enforcement order or directive on NMDPRA.

Also, IPMAN who absolved its members from engaging in any unlawful activities wondered why people unknown to law can invade, harass or seal outlets as they had done to some marketers in the State.

“These people have started operations, harassing and intimidating our members with security personnel to legalise their operation.

“Their activities are unacceptable to our association as law abiding citizens.

“We are therefore not ready to cooperate with them as they are not the statutory agency created for the petroleum downstream industry as provided in the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.

“We shall continue to support your government and would not want to take further action that will result in unnecessary hardship to the people of Anambra”.