July 16, (THEWILL) – The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, has faulted Cross River State Governor, Senator Bassey Otu, over the Inauguration of a parallel executive for its Calabar Unit.
The State Chairman of IPMAN, Calabar Unit, Comrade Robert Obi, who made this known in a statement in Calabar, on Friday, said the purported inauguration of one Peter Okim Abang, the Task Force Chairman on Petroleum, as the “new” chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Calabar unit, is illegal.
He maintained that the purported inauguration of Abang, who also served as one of the appointees of former Governor Ben Ayade, on Petroleum matters, held on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, with the Secretary to the State Government of Cross River State, Prof. Anthony Owan-Enoh, in attendance to give the event a semblance of official colouration, sprang a huge surprise to marketers of Calabar unit of IPMAN.
IPMAN said moves by some power-mongers to attempt to hijack IPMAN leadership even when they know that such actions are unacceptable are acting ultra vires the rule of law.
Putting the records straight, the IPMAN State Chairman said he leads the Calabar Unit and “have been piloting the affairs of the Association courtesy of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction.
“It is, therefore, worrisome to hear the resurrection of another intra-Calabar unit faction put in place by the chief architect of the national crisis in IPMAN, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo and ably supported by his kinsmen in Calabar.
“Well, for the avoidance of doubt, we wish to state that shortly after Governor Bassey Otu’s assumption of office, the leadership of IPMAN, under Comrade Robert Obi, with their counsel, served the new administration with a letter exhibiting all judgements covering the crisis and we expected the Government to critically examine such documents (judgements) as annexures in which Comrade Robert Obi remains the authentic chairman of IPMAN,” he said.
He maintained that this is in line with the Federal High Court ruling in Suit No. FHC/CA/FHR/95/2019, which declared Obi so and has been subsisting with no reversal by any appellate court.
He said they expected the Government to have been very cautious having read the warning notice. But that was not to be as the government had taken sides with a new faction inaugurated Wednesday, July 23, 2023, with the SSG in attendance.
The Association also said the claim that the current executive of IPMAN has stayed for a long while in office is beyond their jurisdiction and an issue of law.
IPMAN subsequently called on the State Government, led by Sen. Bassey Edet Otu, not to dabble into the affairs and leadership of IPMAN to forestall further crises that could be inimical to the already-existing peace and tranquillity in the Depot.
“Our Dear Governor should not be seen to be encouraging illegalities or be a party to something that could disintegrate our Association.
“We enjoin him to call his aides to order and should rather, engage in activities and programmes that unite the State and not the ones that promote division amongst us,” Comrade Obi said.
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
