Nigerians may be facing another bout of fuel scarcity if the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) carries out its threat to shut down fuel stations across the country.
The fuel marketers are angry over incessant harassment of their members by the police.
Yakubu Suleiman, IPMAN spokesperson, Yakubu Sulaiman, said the association has instructed its members to shut down operations over the alleged harassment.
He spoke to reporters on Sunday in Jos, Plateau state capital.
Some police officers, according to him, have invaded the association’s national secretariat on Friday over leadership issues among members.
Suleiman said, “Whereas there is subsisting Supreme Court judgement of December 2018, that have since disposed off a suit No. SC15/2015, and ordered that Mr Chinedu Okoronkwo, is our President and Alhaji Danladi Garba Pasali, as National secretary..
“The continued violation of this judgement, even by the police is causing more harm to the downstream sector of the petroleum industry, which if such is not halted will lead to impunity and anarchy.
“It is true that members of IPMAN in many States across sections of Nigeria, have met and others are meeting and communicating to us that they will shut down, from Tuesday.
“The implications would be there will be a shortage or fuel scarcity in the country.
“We are calling on all arms of government including the security agencies to take the necessary action, towards halting impunity in the downstream sector of the petroleum industry.”
The IPMAN spokesperson said the shutdown will be enforced if the inspector-general of police (IGP) fails to address the invasion, which he described as illegal.
