Fuel Hike: IPMAN Seeks Functional Depots

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has blamed the high cost of petroleum products on non-functional depots in the country.
The Eastern Zonal Chairman of IPMAN, Chief Chukwudi Ezinwa, said this in Enugu yesterday while briefing journalists on its activities.
Ezinwa said the price of petroleum products would fall when all the 21 depots in the country were functional,
He urged the Federal Government to reactivate the depots in the country in order to ensure availability of petroleum products.
The chairman, who also argued that the deregulation of the oil sector would boost the economy if well managed, said:
“We are not afraid of deregulation. It is the best thing that can happened to marketers.
“The end users will not benefit from it if they cannot buy fuel and kerosene at government price.’’
Ezinwa, however, commended the Federal Government over its plan to build two refineries, saying that it would go a long way in transforming the country.
“When we have our refineries, the practice of taking our crude oil out to refine it will be a thing of the past,’’ he said.
On vandalism of pipelines, especially in the South East Zone, Ezinwa said it was the responsibility of all tiers of government as well as communities to fight the menace.
“The Federal Government is doing its best to reactivate the pipeline from Port Harcourt to Enugu but the problem is the non-involvement of the state governors of the zone.
Chief Obasi Lawson-led Independent Petroleum Marketers Association Nigeria (IPMAN) faction, has said that court order restraining him as the association president was capable of bringing ridicule to the judiciary.
The Counsel to Lawson-led IPMAN, Mr Reuben Wanogho, who stated this in Abuja while speaking with some newsmen over the judgment, said such order could result to judicial anarchy.
An FCT High Court on May 16 restrained Lawson from parading himself as President of IPMAN pending the determination of the suit.
The plaintiff, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, being a factional president of the association, in a suit number FCT/HC/4141/2014, urged the court to restrain Lawson from the act.
Wanogho said that it was a judicial miscarriage for another High Court to give such order when there was an existing High Court order from Port Harcourt declaring Lawson as IPMAN National President on March 20.
The Lawson-led IPMAN counsel said because the same the judgment was also appealed by those who went to the Abuja Federal High Court to obtain restraining order.
Wanogho said that it was only an Appellate Court that could give such a restraining order and not a Federal High Court that has the same jurisdiction that declared Lawson as the president.
“They have a constitutional right to go to court.
“However, in exercising that right, you must also advise yourself of the possible incidence of judicial anarchy which the court at all times will want to prevent.
“Judicial anarchy in the sense that you create by your action a scenario in which two court of coordinate jurisdiction may make different orders in respect of the same issue between the same parties,” he said.
On the restraining order, he stated that Lawson-led IPMAN executives would go to court to vacate the order, stressing that IPMAN could not have two national presidents at a time
“It is very wrong because the court has declared Chief Obasi Lawson as the national president of IPMAN and nobody can declare himself again as a parallel national president
“I and my team have been instructed to take every legal step to challenge the action at the FCT.
“Suffice to say that the judgment of the Federal High Court is potent, is alive, is subsisting and must be respected.
“The order of the FCT did not pretend to set aside that judgment contrary to the propaganda making the round,” he said.
According to Wanogho, the FCT High Court cannot sit in judgment over the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt neither can it review the judgment, especially when same is the subject of appeal.