IPMAN Suspends One-Day Strike Eastern Zone Over Police Harassment
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has resumed distribution of products in Eastern Zone comprising Port Harcourt, Calabar, Aba, Enugu and Makurdi after a one-day strike.
Alhaji Sanusi Fari National President of IPMAN had directed members of the association at the depots within the zone to suspend dispatch of products effective Monday to protest alleged intimidation by the Nigerian Police.
Fari said the indefinite strike would subsist until the leadership of IPMAN Port Harcourt depot led by Dr Joseph Obele which was forcefully sacked on July 30 under the protection of Police was restored.
But a Statement made available to journalists in Awka on Tuesday said the leadership of IPMAN at the depots within the zone should resume normal operations.
The Statement signed by Fari confirmed that the Obele and members of his leadership had been reinstated in office on Monday and that the strike was called off with immediate effect.
“The National Executive Committee of IPMAN wishes to inform you officially that our members have resumed loading and operations in the Eastern Zone of Aba, Calabar, Enugu, Makurdi and Port Harcourt Depots Units.
“The respective Chairmen are directed to start operations immediately,” he stated.
The Statement a meeting had been scheduled with the Inspector General of Police over the leadership crisis in the association on Wednesday and that the outcome would be communicated to members.
“In the interest of the public as patriotic Nigerians which we clearly stated in our open letter to Inspector General of Police, Usman Alkali on the 12th July, 2021 National Newspapers, we have restrained our members in the face of all provocations from withdrawing their services.
“But, this time around, for no just cause, there was peace, the Commissioner of Police, Rivers State brought illegal people who are not even our members and put them in our Port Harcourt Secretariat.
This action provoked general anger on the members who refused to work.
One Elder Okoronkwo has asked our members to go back to work which nobody answered him.
“This has confirmed our position that he has no member supporting him, he remains a pretender to the leadership of IPMAN and my office has communicated same to all concerned government departments and security agencies severally.
“The association therefore states that operations have resumed in the Eastern Zone based on the directives of the IPMAN NEC under my leadership.
” It is our firm belief that the next line of action shall be determined by the outcome of the meeting with Police headquarters tomorrow,” Sanusi Fari Stated.
