August 14, (THEWILL) – The South-East zone of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) has threatened to embark on industrial action zone over harassment by the Nigeria Police.
The South-East zone of IPMAN comprises Enugu, Abia, Rivers, Cross River and Benue States, with more than 40 depots and 1, 000 petrol filling stations and about 2,000 members under its control.
The associations’s made a decision to shut down all the stations after a series of meetings with some stakeholders.
The meeting followed alleged moves by the Police Legal Force headquarters, Abuja to arrest its executives across the zone.
The police action is also aimed at installing a factional leadership, thereby creating more crises in the association, in spite of various court pronouncements laying the matter to rest.
Speaking on the fresh crisis, the Chairman of IPMAN, Comrade Robert Asue Obi, described the action of the police as an invitation to anarchy, threatening that the association would not hesitate to shut down all depots in the eastern zone.
He said the association would also close down petrol filling stations owned by thousands of its members in protest against undue harassment of the leadership by the police and interference in its affairs.
Obi frowns at the illegal moves by the police authorities and some disgruntled elements to either misinterpret the Supreme Court ruling or subvert the will of the people and subsequently impose their cronies on the association, even when the facts of the matter are very clear.
IPMAN warned that if the police takes any further step to interfere with the current leadership of the association headed by Alhaji Debo Ahmed, as national president, it would shut down the distribution channels of petroleum and allied products in Nigeria, pending the when the police return to their senses.
“IPMAN leadership has resolved to continue with their rights in the constitution and abide by the extant laws and subsisting judgments of the courts in their favour,” he said.
Daniel Enegu Mgbe, a counsel for IPMAN, regretted that the police under the watch of the current Inspector-General of Police decided to be misled by its legal unit.
He insisted that the police authorities had no constitutional powers to either reverse the Attorney-General of the Federation’s legal advice or usurp his constitutional duties.
He added that any attempt by the police to override the legal advice of AGF would amount to locking horns with the law officer of the federation.
He stated that Section 15 of Sheriffs and Civil Process Act 2004 clearly spelt out the functions of the Police under Section 4 of Police Act 2020.
About the Author
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.
