Kehinde Fajobi
The Ogun State chapter of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has warned it will halt fuel supply across the state, citing continuous harassment by an “illegal task force” reportedly established by the state government to disrupt its members’ operations.
Chief Salimon Ajayi, IPMAN’s chairman at the Mosimi Depot, voiced these concerns on Tuesday in Abeokuta.
Ajayi condemned the actions of the task force, which he claimed was inaugurated on November 6, 2024, by the Dapo Abiodun administration.
According to Ajayi, the task force, led by Adeyemi Badejo and staffed by officers from the Nigeria Police Force, the state’s Traffic Compliance and Enforcement Agency (TRACE), and officials from the state television station, has allegedly been targeting IPMAN fuel stations.
The group, he claimed, demands measuring cans, solicits money, and engages in various forms of harassment.
Ajayi contended that the formation of this task force contradicts the Petroleum Industry Act (PIA) 2021, specifically Sections 48 and 309, which, he argued, do not support the establishment of such an oversight body.
IPMAN has therefore issued an ultimatum: if the task force continues its activities, its members will cease fuel supply across Ogun State from Monday, November 18, 2024.
“It is unfortunate that IPMAN members are frequently the target when government policies negatively impact the public,” Ajayi stated.
“The task force is unnecessary and illegal under the PIA, and its objectives are being pursued through unlawful means.”
In a formal letter to the Nigerian Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Authority (NMDPRA), dated November 11, 2024, IPMAN outlined its grievances, asserting that its members are law-abiding citizens who will not tolerate intimidation by state agents.
The letter, shared with journalists, reads, “We write to inform your esteemed office of a new Task Force recently established by the Ogun State government. The team has been visiting our stations, forcibly requesting measuring cans to assess our products, harassing our staff, and demanding money.”
Ajayi called on Ogun State residents and the business community to hold the government accountable for any disruptions in fuel supply if the task force is not disbanded by Sunday, November 17, 2024.