IPMAN Threatens Showdown in Ogun, Alleges Harassment by Govt Task Force

James Sowole in Abeokuta

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) on Tuesday, threatened to stop petroleum products supplies to Ogun State over allege harassment by a task force newly set up by the state government.
The IPMAN alleged that officials of the task force inaugurated by Governor Dapo Abiodun on November 6, 2024, had been going round members’ filling stations demanding for measuring cans and at the same time attempting to extort them.
The State Chairman of IPMAN, Mosimi Depot, Chief Salimon Ajayi, while interacting with journalists, said his office had been receiving complaints of harassment of their attendants at their stations by members of the task force.
Ajayi maintained that the inauguration of the Task Force, which has one Adeyemi Badejo as its chairman, the operatives of the Nigeria Police Force, personnel of the state-owned Traffic Compliance and Enforcement agency (TRACE), as well as the state-owned television broadcast station, contradicted the provision of the law as contained in Sections 48 and 309 of the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021.
While declaring opposition to the operation of the task force, IPMAN specifically stated that its members would be shutting down operations in the state, with effect from Monday November 18, 2024, should Ogun State government’s Task Force continue going out to disturb their members.
He specifically, said no petroleum products laden trucks would be allowed to come to Ogun State if the harassment continues.
He said, “It is unfortunate that lPMAN members are always the target when government’s policies have negative impact on the public. I’m of the opinion that the task force is unnecessary and illegal. Sections 48 and 309 of the Petroleum Industry Act, 2021 forbids the setting up of such task force
“What Ogun State Government intends to achieve is being illegally approached and must be vehemently resisted”.
It was however, gathered that IPMAN Mosimi Depot, has also reported the matter at the state’s field office of the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA) through a letter dated 11 November, 2024 wherein the association expressed its displeasure over the illegal constitution of the task force.
In the said letter, copy of which was made available to newsmen in Abeokuta, IPMAN clearly stated that all its members are law abiding citizens, who would neither venture into any illegality in the course of carrying out its legitimate business, nor succumb to any intimidation from any of the state government’s agent.
The letter read in part: “We write to inform your esteemed office of a new Task Force that was recently set up by Ogun State government. The team has been going round our petroleum dispensing stations, forcefully requesting for measuring cans to measure the petroleum products, harassing our staff and demanding for money.
“We hereby, bring to your notice, all these fraudulent acts that are being perpetrated by the task force in all our fuel dispensing stations across the state. All our members are law abiding citizens, who carry out their legitimate businesses in accordance with the law guiding it”.
Ajayi however, appealed to residents and members of the Ogun State business community to hold the state government accountable for any inconveniences that may be experienced, should the state governor, Abiodun failed to disband the task force between now and the night of Sunday the 17th November, 2024.