IPMAN threatens to shut down Eastern operations over incessant police harassment
[From ANIEKAN ANIEKAN, Calabar]
Independent Petroleum Marketers Association (IPMAN) has vowed to shut down its Eastern region operations in the country over incessant police harassment.
Cross River State chapter chairman of the group, Comrade Robert Obi, who said this in Calabar, weekend, explained that the decision follows constant harassment suffered by its members at the hands of police personnel in the entire Eastern region.
Obi threatened that the association would not hesitate to shut down all the Eastern zone depots and petrol stations in Calabar, Port Harcourt and Enugu depots.
The South East zone of IPMAN, which comprises of Enugu, Aba, Rivers, Cross River and Benue states with over 40 depots and 1, 000 petrol stations with about 2, 000 members.
IPMAN has been factionlised between Chiefs Obasi Lawson and Elfer Chinedu Okoronkwo all from Abia state, leading to series of litigation.
Litigations culminated in the Supreme Court judgment in Suit No SC/15/2018 delivered on December 14, 2018.
The suit was subsequently interpreted by Federal High Court Calabar dated June 19, 2019, which recognised automatic succession of the Deputy National President, Alhaji Sanusi Abdu Fari, as National President of IPMAN, based on 1997 constitution of the association as against of one Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo.
Following that judgment, the Attorney General of the Federation and the Minister of Justice, Abubakar Malami, SAN, had in a letter dated January 4, 2019 and sent to Rivers IPMAN Chairman led by Chief Richard Orianwo, acknowledged and congratulated Alhaji Sanusi Fari as the President of IPMAN following Supreme Court judgment.
Comrade Obi therefore, advised “the association and all parties to abide by the Supreme Court and the Federal High Court interpretation on the matter.
He condemned any acts of contempt of court and the attendant proactive disputes that are escalating tensions and violence in the host community and thus threatening lives and property by any member or organ of IPMAN.”
In the same vein, the Hon Minister of State for Petroleum Resources, Timipre Sylva, in a letter dated January 27, 2020 congratulated Engr Sanusi Abdu Fari and promised to work with the new leadership.
The letter read in part: “The judgments of the Federal High Court, Calabar dated June 19, 2019 as to the tenure of the erstwhile National President, Chief Obasi Lawson, and the automatic succession of the Deputy National President, Alhaji Sanusi Abdu Fari, as the National President, is noted.”
The legal department of Inspector-General of Police headed by CP Daso Oruebo followed suit and advised police to recognise the leadership of Alhaji Fari and withdraw from the occupation of national secretariat in Abuja in compliance with the court orders.
However I’m a new twist to the interpretation of the Supreme Court judgment by the new Police Commissioner, Legal Force headquarters, Abuja, DCP Ochogwu Ogbeh, W.A, who had in a letter dated May 13, 2022 advised the Inspector-General of Police to recognise the Chinedu Okorornkwo-led faction of IPMAN.
Obi frowns at the illegal moves by the police authorities and some disgruntled elements to either misinterpret the Supreme Court ruling or subvert the will of the people and subsequently impose their cronies on the association even when the facts of the matter are very clear.
He explained that the Attorney general of the Federation, AGF’s letter, copied to Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo and his faction, who lost out at the Supreme Court, had acknowledged Alh Sanusi Fari as authentic National President of IPMAN as well as his Depot/Unit chairmen.
“Following the legal advice, the police are putting all arsenals to arrest the current executives of IPMAN in Nigeria, particularly in Calabar NNPC depot and allegedly hand them over to the people of their choice.
“IPMAN warns that if any further step for the Police to interfere with the current leadership of the association headed by Alh. Debo Ahmed, as national president, and that of my office, we would shut down the distribution channels of petroleum and allied products in Nigeria pending the when the police return to their senses.
“IPMAN leadership has resolved to continue with their rights in the constitution and abide by the extant laws and subsisting judgments of the courts in their favour.”
Describing the recent police interpretation as travesty of justice, the counsel to Alh. Ahmed Debo-led IPMAN, Daniel Enegu Mgbe, regretted that the Police under the watch IGP decided to be misled by its legal unit headed by DCP Ochogwu Ogbeh in defiance of the position of the Attorney General of the federation.
