The National Leadership of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), on Sunday, distanced itself from a strike called by the Western Zone of the Association.

It explained that the decision was informed by the need to back the Petroleum Tanker Drivers’ opposition to Dangote acquiring trucks to transport its products to users.

Recall that the Western Zonal IPMAN in a press statement signed by its Chairman and Acting Secretary, Basorun Joseph Akanni and Mr. Adeleke Adeoye said Dangote’s intention contravenes the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) and urged its members to begin a strike on Monday.

However, a statement by the National Ex-Officio, Douglas Iyike on behalf of the National Executive Council (NEC) of IPMAN urged its members to disregard the strike action.

IPMAN noted that what Dangote was doing is a huge assistance to marketers which it said would free them from multiple and choking levies they are forced to pay by petroleum tanker drivers.

He also said that the action of Dangote is supported by the PIA.

According to Iyike “I am refuting this story as the Former chairman of IPMAN Benin Depot and presently the National Ex-Officio of IPMAN.

“That IPMAN National Executive Council NEC under the leadership of Alhaji Maigandi Shettima is not aware of such a preconceived action by the IPMAN Western Zone to make such a pronouncement of IPMAN Western Zone going on strike by Monday.

“And as you would know, the PIA bill has given the room for any individual to own a refinery in the country and have your own trucks to distribute your products and even build petrol stations if you choose to where your products can be dispense to the general public, so Dangote has not done any harm but good to we marketers and to the general public.

“Howbeit, I want to state unequivocally that the IPMAN western zone has no impetus to call for any strike as the lacks the constitutional powers to do so as it is only the National Executive Council of IPMAN that has the reserved right to do so.

“The zone or any Depot and the western zone should also by this statement take into cognizance that they are not on their own but under the NEC of IPMAN according to the IPMAN constitution of 2009 as amended.

*And as such cannot take any decision of any kind of strike or demonstration regarding the interest of marketers without the approval of the National Executive Council of IPMAN.

“We advise esteemed marketers to go with their normal day-to-day business.”

Iyike said the Dangote Refinery is a good development for the creation of jobs for the citizens of this country and also a good development for the marketers who could no longer afford to buy petroleum products in their various station outlets.

He said the development would make marketers get products on a credit basis and pay the balance after sales “which will help marketers to bounce back to business.”

“IPMAN nationwide is solidly behind Dangote Refinery and we will not allow a few individuals to truncate this development in the downstream industry and the level of enormous levies on marketers before getting their products to their station outlets will be a thing of the past.” (Nigerian Tribune)

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