The crisis over the leadership of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association, IPMAN, in Cross River State has deepened leading to scarcity of petrol, especially in Calabar, the state capital.
Edet Umana, the state chairman of IPMAN, who was recently inaugurated by the National President of the association in Calabar, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, said despite a judgment of the Supreme Court confirming Okoronkwo and by extension all the state executives put in place by him, a Federal High Court in Calabar had gone ahead to give an order defying the Supreme Court.
Umana said the Calabar Federal High Court order of Wednesday, June 19, 2019, which dictated that the national officers of the party be removed, had emboldened a faction of IPMAN, who refusing to recognize his authority had gone around closing filing stations in Calabar, just as tanker drivers loyal to their faction refused to lift products at the depot.
“The judgment they secured here undermines the subsisting judgment of the Supreme Court and what we are saying is that they must obey the Supreme Court judgment. What they are doing is illegal and you can see the people are suffering,” Umana said.
Okechukwu Uwazie, an independent marketer in Calabar, the Managing Director of Uwasco oil Nigeria limited, who spoke on the situation, said “by the virtue of our position we are law abiding citizens. What is going on is that some people form a group claiming they want to hijack this oil business. I am surprised that if the Supreme Court has given ruling since December 14, last year in a case they took us to court. Why won’t they be law abiding citizens? Why should they not vacate the office? Why are they not law abiding citizens? Why are they now putting this crisis?
“Mr Edet Umana is now the chairman by Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo government and the order of the Supreme Court. This is my first time of hearing that Supreme Court will give judgment and you will come to a lower court to seek for interpretation,” he said.
The situation had led to fuel scarcity in the city, with residents subjected to hardship and calling for the urgent intervention of the government in the matter.
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