Petrol Scarcity Looms In SE/SS AS IPMAN, PTD Shut Down PH Depots Over Illegal Levy


Members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and Petroleum Tanker Drivers on Thursday, Oct.7 stopped all loading activities at all petroleum depots in Port Harcourt, Rivers State the imposition of illegally levy on them by a group of people not known to them.

The protesting IPMAN and PTD members say the illegal leadership faction barricaded entrances to all the loading depots and imposed a compulsory levy of N10,000 on all tankers before they could be allowed to move in and load products.

They said thd group which also threatened to deal with marketers and tanker drivers were said to be operating under the full protection of security agents.


The States which rely heavily on Port Harcourt include Abia, Bayelsa, Akwa Ibom, Cross River, Enugu, Ebonyi, Anambra and Imo.

Dr Joseph Obele, the lawfully elected chairman of IPMAN, Port Harcourt Depot in a Statement dissociated his team from the illegal and evolutionary activities of the group.

Obele who enjoys the followership of marketers condemned the attempt to truncate his legitimate leadership by a group of people acting under thd
the cover of the Police.

He said there would no longer be loading of products as members could not operate under a hostile environment due to the volatility of the products.

Obele called on Gov.Nyesom Wike, the Police, the Department of State Services and relevant stakeholders in the petroleum sector to urgently intervene and avert the looming crisis in the Port Harcourt loading depots which service states in the Southsouth, Southeast and parts of Middle Belt.