By Elizabeth ADENUGA
The All Progressives Congress (APC) has urged the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) to urgently resolve its leadership crisis that led to artificial fuel scarcity in the South East.
Some chieftains of the party in the state made the call in Enugu on Tuesday while reacting to artificial scarcity of petroleum products in the South East over alleged leadership crisis in IPMAN.
TBI Africa said that Ambassador Fidel Ayogu, a onetime lawmaker at the Federal House of Assembly and APC chieftain, who spoke to the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), said the shutdown was uncalled for especially at the critical period of general elections.
According to him, how can people be so insensible to create artificial scarcity at this critical period that Nigerians were about to select their leaders?
He said that the situation had affected the move to wrap up the party’s campaign against Saturday polls.
Ayogu advised leaders of the union to do everything possible to restore the situation to normalcy.
Chief Eugene Odo, former Speaker of the Enugu State House of Assembly and APC Senatorial Candidate for Enugu North district, said people should be good ambassadors in their various endeavors.
He wondered how few individuals could take such drastic decisions without notice to enable people prepare.
“This few hours of scarcity have caused me a whole lot of damage,” Odo said.
He called on IPMAN and other sister unions to do the needful to ensure that the situation was resolved within 24 hours.
In his reactions, Enugu East Senatorial candidate of the APC, Chief Lawrence Eze also decried the ongoing strike by petroleum marketers which had stifled activities in Enugu.
Eze said that the situation was capable of affecting the presidential and National Assembly elections on Saturday if not suspended.
The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) reports that most petrol stations in the state are under lock and key, throwing the city into panic.
The senatorial candidate wondered why members of IPMAN in the South East would embark on strike at such a critical period.
He called on opinion and political leaders in the zone to prevail on IPMAN to sort out whatever problem they had within their fold that may have led to the ugly situation.
Eze said that from information within his disposal that the closure of the petrol stations was not politically motivated.
He said that the presidential and NASS elections are too important for the South East.
“We do not want a situation where our people will complain that they did not have the opportunity to exercise their franchise due to the situation we find ourselves now.
“Therefore, our leaders should talk to the leadership of IPMAN in the region to resume supply of petroleum products and open their petrol stations,” he said.
Eze called on residents of the state to come out on Saturday to vote irrespective of the situation.
