IPMAN Directs Members to Open Filling Stations, Says They are Not Part of NUPENG Strike

By Francis Sadhere

The Independent Petroleum Markets of Nigeria (IPMAN), Warri Chapter, has directed its members to open their filling stations for sales of fuel, saying that its members were not part of the strike by the Independent Petroleum Markets of Nigeria (IPMAN), Warri Chapter.

Chairman of IPMAN, Warri Chapter, Chief Akpos Edafevwotu told our reporter that there was no justification for the strike action by NUPENG members who were employees of IPMAN and could not force his members to be part of their plan to inflict pains on motorists and other fuel users in the zone.

While condemning the action of members of NUPENG that disrupted the operations of some filling stations dispensing fuel to the public as part of efforts to make effective of their strike action, Chief Edafevwotu directed his members to promptly report such actions to the nearest police station

“Let me say emphatically that we are not part of the strike action embarked upon by NUPENG in protest of the refusal of Chevron to recall some of their members that were sacked by the oil company. They never consulted us and there was never a meeting to agree to embark on such strike.

“If for anything, we are their employer and they needed to carry us along and if we believe in their struggle, the national secretariat and the zonal office will direct us to join. But that is not the case in this strike action by NUPENG. Instead they are resorting to forceful compliance by removing some of my member’s pumps”, he said.

The IPMA Boss urged Delta State Government to wade into the development threatening that his members would no longer tolerate their employees disrupting their businesses under the guise of strike, noting that their disagreement had to do with upstream sector of the oil industry while theirs is downstream.

“I have directed my members to report any disruption of their operations to the nearest police station. They cannot hold us to ransom. The state government should intervene now before it gets out of hand. Why should they make people to suffer unnecessarily?” he asked.

It was observed that some of the filling stations opened for operations but several others put their depot under lock and key for fear of disruption of their sales by members of NUPENG who had vowed to ensure total compliance of the strike action by members.