Oil & Energy
IPMAN Moves To Shutdown Operations In Anambra Moves To Shutdown Operations In Anambra
Following last minute intervention by the Anambra State Government, members of the Independent Petroleum Marketers of Nigeria (IPMAN) in the state, will now shutdown operations on August 25, across the state.
The impending strike is in solidarity with Siluch Oil and Gas Limited, an IPMAN member, being owed N13.6 million for petroleum products it supplied to Transport Company of Anambra State (TRACAS), since 2017.
IPMAN had on August 4, issued a 21-day ultimatum to the state government, to pay off the debt and also address other issues raised by the association.
Speaking to newsmen yesterday in Awka, Mr Chinedu Anayaso, Chairman of IPMAN, Enugu Depot, said that the shutdown would be total until all conditions were met.
Anayaso said apart from the debt payment, his members were resisting any form of tax/levy increase by the government, as the economy did not currently support such additional burden on businesses.
“We are counting days, we have not seen anything that shows that the state government is treating our letter to them with the seriousness it deserves.
“We expect that they pay the young man his money, withdraw all cases against our members for refusing to pay the levies we did not agree on and revert to the annual unified levy we reached an agreement on,” he said.
He said that the action would be total because IPMAN, NUPENG and Petrol Tanker Drivers were together in the plan, adding that anyone who violated the order would pay a fine of N500, 000.
He also said within the period of shutdown, no product destined for Anambra State would be loaded, adding sadly however, other states like Enugu and Ebonyi under the zone would be affected.
Also speaking, Managing Director of Siluch Oil and Gas, Uche Okoye, said his company was having smooth business relationship with TRACAS until the second term campaign of Governor Willie Obiano, when they could not pay for four months.
Okoye said he had written and visited TRACAS and the transport ministry several times over the debt, but regretted that they had refused to pay him.
He noted with regrets that the money owed him was a loan secured from the bank for which he had been paying interests without making use of.
“The debt is seriously affecting me because it is a loan I obtained from bank.
“I have more than 30 workers and things are getting more difficult by the day due to TRACAS’ indebtedness to my company.
“Initially, I had no plans of laying off workers even with the current economic hardship in the country, but as it is, I am somehow working on a very tight rope.
The Managing Director of TRACAS, Mrs Edith Madukasi, told journalists that she was informed on assumption of duties in the company that Siluch was owed some money by the company.
“I was told that TRACAS is owing Siluch for the product it supplied to us, but I cannot speak on the matter, it is my commissioner that will speak on that,” Madukasi said.
Reacting, Commissioner for Transport in Anambra State, Mr Afam Mbanefo, said he had been briefed on the debt and that he was already working on it.
Mbanefo said that government would ensure that every stakeholder got what was due to them.
“I have looked at the transactions of this office since I assumed office and this debt amounting to N13.57 million was presented, and IPMAN leadership had also visited me on the same matter,” he said.
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In the bid to revitalise the gas industry and stabilise power generation, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has authorised the settlement of N185 billion in long-standing debts owed to natural gas producers.
The payment, to be executed through a royalty-offset arrangement, is expected to restore confidence among domestic and international gas suppliers who have long expressed concern about persistent indebtedness in the sector.
According to him, settling the debts is crucial to rebuilding trust between the government and gas producers, many of whom have withheld or slowed new investments due to uncertainty over payments.
Ekpo explained that improved financial stability would help revive upstream activity by accelerating exploration and production, ultimately boosting Nigeria’s gas output adding that Increased gas supply would also boost power generation and ease the long-standing electricity shortages that continue to hinder businesses across the country.
The minister noted that these gains were expected to stimulate broader economic growth, as reliable energy underpins industrialisation, job creation and competitiveness.
In his intervention, Coordinating Director of the Decade of Gas Secretariat, Ed Ubong, said the approved plan to clear gas-to-power debts sends a powerful signal of commitment from the President to address structural weaknesses across the value chain.
“This decision underlines the federal government’s determination to clear legacy liabilities and give gas producers the confidence that supplies to power generation will be honoured. It could unlock stalled projects, revive investor interest and rebuild momentum behind Nigeria’s transition to a gas-driven economy,” Ubong said.
