…Says Ngoa an impostor
Oscarline Onwuemenyi
06 April 2016, Sweetcrude, Abuja – The National Operations Controller of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, and the, Mr. Mike Osatuyi has denied that the split within the group was to blame for the lingering fuel crisis across the country.
He debunked media reports in an earlier statement credited to one Mr. Lawson Ngoa who claims to be the interim management secretary of IPMAN, which reported that IPMAN accepts all responsibility for the difficulties suffered by Nigerians while agreeing that IPMAN is now ready to commence distribution of products following reconciliation brokered by the minister.
Osatuyi, who is the immediate past association National Secretary of the body, noted that Mr. Lawson Ngoa is not a member of IPMAN but an agent of the Ministry of Petroleum Resources brought in to mediate in the internal crisis of IPMAN.
Osatuyi’s position was contained in a statement issued after the NEC meeting in Abuja, obtained by our correspondent in Abuja.
It noted that while the intervention of the Minister of state for Petroleum, Dr. Ibe Kachikwu in resolving the internal crisis in IPMAN is appreciated and commendable “the forefathers, past presidents, leaders of IPMAN and the general members of IPMAN nationwide will not allow Mr. Lawson Ngoa who is not a marketer less an IPMAN member to use IPMAN name as a shield to defend or protect a system failure of NNPC.
“It is pure defamation of IPMAN name to go on air that IPMAN has accepted the responsibility for the scarcity of Petroleum Products and that Nigerians should hold IPMAN responsible for the Scarcity.”
According to Osatuyi, “Crisis in IPMAN with government intervention is not new today. Previous Government agencies have intervened in IPMAN crisis without blackmail from the agencies concerned right from the time of Alhaji Jarfau Paki, the then Special Assistant to President Olusegun Obasanjo on Petroleum Matters.
“Dr. Oluwole Oluleye, the former Executive Secretary of Petroleum Product Pricing Regulatory Agency, PPPRA, had intervened in IPMAN matter without blackmailing the Association. Some former Managing Directors of PPMC had also intervened in IPMAN matter without destroying IPMAN’s name.”
The statement noted that IPMAN controls over 80% of the retail outlets in the country and has partnered with previous governments to solve previous fuel crisis without damaging the association name.
“It is also on record that no member of IPMAN has voiced out against peace since this government stepped in to resolve IPMAN crisis few days ago. That is evidence that IPMAN and all IPMAN members want peace and are ready to embrace peace for seamless operation of the association administration and by extension the Nigeria oil sector.
“IPMAN don’t want any government agents, representatives, coordinators that will add more wound to the association injury or destroy the association name that was established over 35 years ago. IPMAN members nationwide have invested trillion of Naira in the Nigeria downstream oil sector.
“I am sure Mr. Lawson is not aware or knowledgeable of the gravity of his statement credited to IPMAN and Nigerians who are suffering for weeks for somebody’s system and planning failure. It is an unfair statement, and he has to apologize to IPMAN and Nigerians for deceiving the populace,” the statement added.
It further stressed that Mr. Lawson Ngoa has no authority or mandate to be using IPMAN name to shield any of the government agencies in the Nigeria Oil Sector for any operational or administrative mismanagement.
“Once again IPMAN is ready to work with the government in ensuring that products are available to Nigerians so as to deliver the promises of the government to the masses,” the statement noted.
The lingering leadership crisis of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, for nearly two years, has contributed maximally in the current petroleum product scarcity.
The rivalry between two IPMAN national factions has crippled the importation and distribution of petroleum products in Nigeria especially by the members of the independent marketers who control about 80 percent of the fuel distribution network.
In his resolve to end the current fuel scarcity, the petroleum minister, Ibe Kachikwu has inaugurated IPMAN Reconciliation/Interim Management Committee to resolve crises which have a bearing on the petroleum scarcity.
The Secretary of the Committee, Lawson Ngoa in a statement yesterday heaped the blame for the petroleum product scarcity on the doorstep of leadership tussle in IPMAN. He further stated that the minister is completely innocent of the petroleum products scarcity as he inherited the crises ridden petroleum sector.
The statement noted that with the increase in the percentage of product to IPMAN and other incentives made available by the federal government through the minister of petroleum, the fuel scarcity will end in weeks.