Independent marketers disown planned strike

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Kano state has dissociated itself from the planned strike by private depots owners and major marketers.
The IPMAN chairman in the state, Alhaji Bashir Dan-Malam, who described the move as a sabotage, said the planned strike by the private depots would not be effective as IPMAN had no intention to join.
“We are aware of the debts but the debts were inherited from the previous administrations. It is not only the depots owners that are owing the Federal Government, our members are also owing but it is not proper to go on strike now.
“Even if they go on strike it will not be effective because we have good people at the helm of affairs at the NNPC/PPMC headed by its Managing Director, Mr Umar Ajiya,” he said.
According to him, there is no need for the private depots owners to go on strike as the crisis could be resolved amicably.
He alleged that most of the private depots were selling the product to their members above the government approved rate of N133.28 per litre.
He said: “Since NNPC is the sole importer of the product, the planned strike by private depots owners will not cause fuel scarcity in the country as being expected.”
He, therefore, called on their members in Kano zone comprising Kano, Katsina, Bauchi, Yobe and Jigawa states to ignore the threat as the union had no intention to join the strike.
He, however, called on the Federal Government to do something urgent in order to address the problem of debts once and for all.