IPMAN Urges Soludo To Withdraw Illegal Agents Invading, Harassing Marketers In Anambra
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has condemned what it considered illegal invasion, harassment and intimidation of members in Anambra by agents of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources.
IPMAN in a protest letter entitled “An Appeal To Stop Forthwith, Undue Harassment And Intimidation” urged Gov. Chukwuma Soludo to call officials of the ministry in order to avoid an unnecessary crisis in the sector.
The letter signed 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 journalists on Wednesday.
IPMAN 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 on behalf of the Commissioner and dated March 15 empowered Divine Rapture Company to monitor illegal bunkering, identify production and distribution of substandard petroleum products and gather intelligence on unlawful mining.
But IPMAN urged the governor to prevail on the Ministry and its agents to withdraw their activities and stay off members’ outlets to forestall breakdown of law and order.
The association said the regulation of the midstream and downstream operations rested with the Nigeria Midstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority( NMDPRA) as provided for in the Petroleum Industry Act 2021.
It said 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.
IPMAN said members were law abiding citizens and would not condone people who are unknown to law to 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,* it said.
