Fuel scarcity may be looming in the South-eastern part of the country as the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has threatened to withdraw its services from the region if the harassment and intimidation of its members by security agencies continue without check.

The association, in a statement on Friday by its Zonal Chairman, Prince Bobby Eberechi Dick, alleged that some people he described as miscreants and not members even without having filling stations are in the habit of securing the services of security agencies to harass and intimate its members.

The statement read: “The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigerian (IPMAN) Eastern Zone wishes to draw the attention of the federal government to the incessant harassment and intimidation of our members by security agencies.

“Few days ago, some miscreants who are not members of our association, who do not have even one filling station, went and secured the services of the Nigeria Police, the Army, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC) to block the gate of private depots where we load petroleum products in Rivers State, saying every IPMAN member must pay a levy of fifteen thousand naira (N15, 000) before our members can load.

“Also on the claim by one of them, Mr Aliche Oti, that petroleum tanker drivers are holding IPMAN levy, to put the record straight petroleum tanker drivers don’t collect IPMAN levy, IPMAN staff are deployed in all the depots to do their legitimate work. It is the IPMAN that buys product and hire the services of tanker drivers.

“When the report got to the zonal executive council of eastern zone, investigation was carried out to know where they are deriving their powers from and on what basis, we found out it was an act of intimidation to force our members to do the wishes of their pay masters.

“IPMAN has legitimate constituted authority headed by our National President, Alhaji Ahmed Dhebo.

“Based on this act of harassment and intimidation, we have withdrawn our services from all the private depots in Rivers State. We are calling on the federal government especially our dogged Governor of Rivers State, Chief Nyesom Wike, to intervene.

“We know the governor cannot allow anyone to disrupt the good business environment he has created in Rivers State. This will cause a serious scarcity in Rivers State and neighbouring states.

“If this harassment, intimidation and blockage of the depots where we are doing our legitimate business by these hoodlums and hired security agent is not addressed, we will have no other choice than to shut down all stations within the eastern zone.

“We are law abiding citizens; we are being guided by the constitution of IPMAN and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. With IPMAN, the distribution of petroleum products within the zone is assured,” the statement said. (THIS DAY)

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