IPMAN gives Soludo one month to address marketers’ grievance

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has given Chukwuma Soludo, the Anambra State governor, one month to address the demands of marketers in the state or face a total shutdown of operations without further notice.

Marketers in Anambra reached this decision at the end of a statewide meeting held in Awka Wednesday.

Chinedu Anyaso, the chairman of IPMAN Enugu Depot Community in charge of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu states who addressed Journalists said the association had made cases which affected members without any response.

Anyaso said the grievances of marketers in Anambra state included the issue of consolidated revenue payable and withdrawal of all litigations against members based on multiple taxation which was not in line with the understanding IPMAN had with the Anambra government.

He said IPMAN discussed the problem of non-payment of debt amounting to about N900 million owed to contractors who supplied diesel for powering streetlight projects in the state.

Resolution for the demolition of part of the property of Chris Tee Nigeria Limited, a marketer at Trans-Nkissi phase 1 along Onitsha-Otuocha road is among the association’s demands, Anyaso said. Reports said the building was demolished by agents of the government.

He said IPMAN would not issue further notice upon the expiration of the deadline before shutting their outlets.

Anyaso thanked Chief Ken Maduako, a patron of the association, Golden Iloh, member of the Anambra State House of Assembly and representative of the Anambra Internal Revenue Service for their intervention and hoped that the Soludo administration would act on their plea to prevent the threatened industrial action.

He commended Soludo for his efforts at making Anambra a peaceful and liveable state while urging him to make the business environment conducive for investors, especially marketers.

He pledged a positive disposition of the association to continue to support his administration to succeed.

The chairman commended marketers for complying fully to the partial shutdown and attendance to the meeting, saying it was a great show of comradeship.

Transport fare was hiked by the commercial vehicle operators in the state by over 100 per cent during the meeting period by the marketers on Wednesday.

Mr Justin Ndife, a commercial keke operator said the fare hike because the pump price of fuel was sold at N1500 instead of N700.

“We have to pay for the high cost of fuel and push the cost to the commuters, things normalize shortly after the marketers concluded their meeting at about 2 pm on Wednesday,” he said.