13 March 2015, Lagos – The western zonal executive of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has inaugurated a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the zonal body for three months, following the shift of Nigeria’s general election very close to the scheduled elections of the association.
IPMAN said its elections originally slated for March 24, 2015 would no longer hold because of the general election shifted to March 28, 2015.
According to a letter, signed by the Zonal Chairman, Mr. Debo Ahmed and Zonal Secretary, Mr. Mark Alaba Obu, “IPMAN western zone hereby constitutes a caretaker committee for Ore Depot to pilot the affairs of IPMAN Ore Depot for the next three months effective from March 13, 2015 at the first instance.”
“The Zonal Executive Council took this decision on the grounds that the IPMAN Ore Depot election had earlier been fixed for March 24, 2015 without envisaging the shift in Nigeria’s general election now slated for March 28, 2015 and the security situation usually accompanying the period of general election,” said the letter.
IPMAN added that the sensitivity of petrol product supply at that period gives the zonal council no alternative than to shift the election.
The association further argued that the shift in election cannot be allowed to place the depot administration in oblivion, hence the constitution of the caretaker committee, in line with the association’s constitution.
IPMAN also said the action was also in view of the judgement in the suit no HOR/21/2014 on the 23rd day of October 2014 by His Lordship Hon. Justice A. Adegoroye of Ondo State High Court of Justice, Ore judicial division.
“You are all aware that Nigeria is just coming out of a fuel scarcity situation and IPMAN will not allow further interruption in the supply chain. Your committee is hereby mandated to ensure that we have free flow of petroleum products at all times,” the letter added.
The letter gave the names of the caretaker committee members to include Akinbiola Oluwatobi Nicholas, Chairman; Olatobosan Johnson, Vice Chairman, and Adeeso Ebenezer, Secretary, among others.
– This Day
