Robert Obi, Cross River State chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria IPMAN (Cross River State Chapter) has denied any change of leadership in the State.
Obi disclosed this in Calabar while reacting to newsmen that there is change of batton in the petroleum dealers association in Cross River State.
He said that although the association emerged in a leadership tussle which has no doubt brought a set back in the management of the association’s affairs.
According to him, the Supreme Court judgment and it’s interpretation by the Federal High Court in Calabar is still in existence.
“Based on the Supreme Court judgment, I state unequivocally that Robert Obi still remains the Cross River State Chairman of IPMAN and his team still remains the authentic leadership of IPMAN.
“That Alh Sanusi Abdu Fari, still remains the National President of IPMAN and the Obi-led leadership still remains loyal to him.
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“That we call on the general public to dissociate and discontinue whatever business with Edet Umana with regard to IPMAN, Cross River state, just as we urge the marketers to disregard any threat being issued by Umana and co as Obi is still in control.
“That Obi-led leadership still commands the respect and loyalty of the entire membership of IPMAN, Cross River State and calls on our members to remain calm as normalcy would soon return to the association”, the IPMAN factional leader maintained.
Obi stressed that the Supreme Court judgment had in Suit No SC/15/2018 delivered December 14, 2018 and its subsequent interpretation by Federal High Court Calabar, of June 19, 2019 had recognised automatic succession of the deputy national president, Alh Sanusi Abdu Fari, as IPMAN’s National President.
The IPMAN chairman maintained that the South East zone of IPMAN which comprises of Calabar, Enugu, Port Harcourt, Enugu and Makurdi depots have been have involved in a loggerhead with officers of the Nigeria Police Force over alleged attempts by the police to foist a factional leadership for IPMAN chapters despite subsisting court orders.
Obi therefore charged authority of the Nigeria Police to withdraw it’s men from IPMAN’s headquarters Calabar stressing that the Supreme Court had at no point mentioned anyone as the new chairman of Cross River IPMAN.
