The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on Tuesday, threatened to stop petroleum products supplies to Ogun State over the continuous intimidation of “an illegal Task Force” set up by the state government to disrupt its members’ businesses statewide.
The new IPMAN state chairman in Mosimi Depot, Chief Salimon Ajayi made the threat on Tuesday in Abeokuta, the state capital while speaking with journalists over the state of IPMAN’s businesses across the state, particularly the incessant harassment of their staff statewide.
It could be recalled that the State government recently inaugurated a task force tagged, ‘Force Control of Transport Fares of Motorists and Unethical Practices by Filling Stations, in response to growing concerns from the public regarding the rising cost of transportation.
But speaking on the high-handedness of the task force, Ajayi explained that the task force which was inaugurated on 6th of November, 2024, has been going round his members’ fuelling stations to demand for measuring cans and monetary inducements, in addition to series of harassments of IPMAN personnel across Ogun.
Ajayi maintained that the inauguration of the Task Force, which has one Adeyemi Badejo as its chairman, the operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, personnel of the state-owned Traffic Compliance and Enforcement agency (TRACE), as well as the state-owned television broadcast station, contradicted the provision of the law as contained in Sections 48 and 309 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
While giving a standing warning against the appropriate authority of government intervention the state, IPMAN emphatically declared that its members will be withdrawing their services with effect from Monday November 18, 2024, should Ogun State government’s Task Force “continues going out to disturb our members and no petroleum products laden trucks will be allowed to come to Ogun State”.
“It is unfortunate that lPMAN members are always the target when government’s policies have negative impact on the public. I’m of the opinion that the task force is unnecessary and illegal. Sections 48 and 309 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021 forbids the setting up of such task force”.
“What Ogun state government intends to achieve is being illegally approached and must be vehemently resisted”.
Newsmen however, gathered that IPMAN Mosimi Depot has also reported the matter at the state’s field office of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) through a letter dated 11 November, 2024 wherein the association expressed its displeasure over the illegal constitution of the Task Force.
In the said letter, copy of which was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, IPMAN clearly stated that all its members are law abiding citizens, who would neither venture into any illegality in the course of carrying out its legitimate business, nor succumb to any intimidation from any of the state government’s agent.
The letter reads in part: “we write to inform your esteemed office of a new Task Force that was recently set up by Ogun State government. The team has been going round our petroleum dispensing stations, forcefully requesting for measuring cans to measure the petroleum products, harassing our staff and demanding for money”.
“We hereby, bring to your notice, all these fraudulent acts that are being perpetrated by the Task Force in all our fuelling dispensing stations across the state. All our members are law abiding citizens, who carry out their legitimate businesses in accordance with the law guiding it”.
Ajayi however, appealed to residents and members of the Ogun State business community to hold the state government accountable for any inconveniences that may be experienced, should the state governor, Abiodun failed to disband the Task Force between now and the night of Sunday the 17th November, 2024.
