Members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and other affiliate unions under system 2E comprising Southeast, South-South and Benue State have threatened to shut down operation in Aba depot, including sale and distribution of petroleum products within the region.
The threat was coming as a result of purported directive said to have been issued to Commissioners of Police in charge of states within the Aba Depot, by one Deputy Commissioner of Police, DCP Ogbe of the Legal Department, Force Headquarters, Abuja, asking them to take over IPMAN secretariats in Abia, Imo, Anambra, Enugu, Rivers, Cross River, Ebonyi and Benue S0tates.
According to the chairman of IPMAN, Aba Depot, Oliver Okolo who spoke to journalists in an interview, the directive was that one C.C Ahukanna who contested election against Bobby Dick, the former chairman of the depot in 2014, and lost, should be assisted by the police to take over as chairman of Aba Depot.
Okolo said the police officer hinged his directive on a court order issued in 2014, which has nothing to do with Aba Depot and which was also quashed by the Court of Appeal.
“The police directive stemmed from a Abuja High Court judgment that has nothing to do with Aba Depot. Even at that the order had been set aside by an Appeal Court.
“The person causing this confusion contested an election with Bobby Dick eight years ago and lost. Dick has served out his tenure and handed over to another person.
“In Aba Depot, we have a charter of equity whereby the chairmanship is rotated among the states constituting the depot. Abia has served out its tenure and anybody from the state claiming the chairmanship of the depot is only trying to cause confusion and problem.”
Okolo reiterated that should the police in the states decide to enforce the directive from the legal department, all the unions in the depot, IPMAN, PTD and IMB would withdraw their services with immediate effect.
He advised the police not to allow itself to be used by anybody or group of persons to truncate the peace and industrial harmony that has been existing at the depot.
