RSG Set To Avert IPMAN’s Strike

The Rivers State Ministry of Energy and Natural Resources says it is  set to  avert the planned strike by the state branch of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) over non-availability of kerosene and diesel products for its members.

Commissioner for Energy and Natural Resources, Dr Dawari George in a chat with The Tide, yesterday said the strike had been aborted through the state intervention.

He said efforts were being made by the state government to ensure that kerosene and diesel products were made available to the state in order to prevent artificial scarcity.

IPMAN members had yesterday carried out a demonstration at the Port Harcourt depot of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) following difficulties its members faced in accessing the products.

President of Rivers State branch of IPMAN, Chief Samuel Osaro-Ejoor told newsmen shortly after the demonstration that its members go as far as Lagos and Warri to load kerosene and diesel for consumers in the state.

Despite numerous assurance given by Group Managing Director of NNPC at several occasions, he lamented that about 3,000 metric tones of both kerosene and diesel meant for the state were diverted to private depots.

Said he: “ We are asking that without the depot having diesel and kerosene we are not going to load other products. We would continue to stay away from loading until these products are supplied to the depot.”

Chief Osaro-Ejoor while decrying the deplorable condition of road leading to Port Harcourt depot, also accused the PPMC of failing to release products to marketers after receiving money from them.

He said for over nine months, the marketers have not loaded kerosene/diesel from the Port Harcourt depot, alleging that the products were diverted.

Meanwhile, attempts to get the management of PPMC to react to the development proved abortive.