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Leadership crisis in IPMAN mars loading of products in Edo

By Alemma-Ozioruva Aliu (Benin City) and Tina Todo (Calabar)
26 April 2018   |   3:44 am
Leadership crisis at the Benin depot of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has disrupted the loading of petroleum products in Warri, Delta State.The Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the association, Douglas Iyike, disclosed this in Benin City yesterday.

President IPMAN Mr.Chinedu-Okoronkwo

Leadership crisis at the Benin depot of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has disrupted the loading of petroleum products in Warri, Delta State.The Chairman, Caretaker Committee of the association, Douglas Iyike, disclosed this in Benin City yesterday.According to him, the crisis was fuelled by one Johnbull Asemota, who is claiming to the chairman of IPMAN in the zone.He said Asemota is also using members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), an arm of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural gas Workers (NUPENG) to prevent IPMAN members from loading products from the depot.
 
He alleged that the action is at variance with a valid Court of Appeal ruling, which affirmed Chinedu Okoronkwo as the authentic National President of IPMAN, and not Chinedu Obasi.He disclosed that Asemota is claiming to be association’s chairman in the zone, under the leadership of the ousted Obasi.He also accused the Department of State Security (DSS) of bias during their intervention in the crisis.
  
“Sequel to the 2009 amended constitution of IPMAN, we are the caretaker committee of the association,” he said.He explained that a factional president of IPMAN, Obasi Lawson, had before the judgment of the Appeal court, claimed to be association’s president.

 
He urged the PTD members to stop meddling in IPMAN’s affairs, adding that they are IPMAN’s employees.He stressed that Asemota, as a former member of the PTD, is using the PTD to cause ripples in marketers’ association.
  
But when contacted on phone yesterday, Asemota denied the allegations.He declared that he remains the authentic chairman of IPMAN in the zone. “Go to the DSS, the matter had been resolved by the Edo State government, they would give you the details of what happened,” he said.

Meanwhile, the Department of Petroleum Resources (DPR) in Cross River has disclosed plans to shut down filling stations without registered operating license in the state.
The state Operations Controller, Mr. Bassey Nkanga gave this warning yesterday in Calabar at a meeting with officials IPMAN, and the Major Oil Marketers Association of Nigeria (MOMAN).

Nkanga said the deadline for registration had since elapsed on March 31, noting that the department had sometime last year reminded oil marketers to renew their operating licenses or pay a fine of N250, 000.He said: “DPR would soon embark on operation display your renewed license in the filing station.He explained that there are over 600 filling stations in Cross River, but lamented that only a little above 100 have their valid registered licenses.He also warned marketers against adjusting their fuel pump to short-change customers.

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