Business
IPMAN Decries Activities Of Illegal Bunkerers

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), South-South has decried the return of soot enveloping the atmosphere following the activities of oil bunkerers in the region.
The South-South committee Chairman on Anti-Bunkering, IPMAN, Mr Prince Okorosa, in a chat with newsmen said the committee was working with the security agencies to check the activities that brought about the soot once again in the region.
Okorosa observed that the soot was minimised in 2019 due to the committee’s proactive measures, noting however, that the soot only returned after the committee decided to apply human face in its operations.
He stated the committee’s resolve to resume its activities with a renewed vigour with a view to ending black dust in the region.
According to him, “now that all security agencies are
involved not just a particular agency, we’re going to deal with them decisively, because it is not just going to be business as usual.
“With the ideas and everything we have put in place, there’s going to be an end to this their evil deed. It is endangering the livelihood of the people it is endangering the health of the people and only a handful of people are enjoying this dividends, we cannot fold our hands and watch”.
Okorosa expressed fear that the move by the federal government to license artisanal refinery would not address the issue of soot if adequate measures to curtail their activities were not adopted.
He said, “it should be legalised, if legalised it would at least give a new face to it and the problem of this soot will come to an end. Even at that, what are the measures we’re talking about, where are they going to get the crude, where are they going to get the petroleum products that they will refine, is it just to go and break into other people’s facilities?
end. Even at that, what are the measures we’re talking about, where are they going to get the crude, where are they going to get the petroleum products that they will refine, is it just to go and break into other people’s facilities?
“These are the things we are talking about, not just licensing them. Before you getting it by illegal means”.
license them, you must license them on where they can get the crude oil to be refined. If you come to our waterways, everywhere is polluted because they are getting it by illegal means”.
Tonye Nria-Dappa