Fuel scarcity hits Calabar as IPMAN’s crisis deepens

Fuel scarcity has returned to Calabar, the Cross River State capital as factional crisis in the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) deepens.

The latest crisis resulted from a June 19, 2019 Federal High Court, Calabar judgement, which ordered the Deputy Chief Registrar, Litigation, Federal High Court, Abuja to execute the judgement delivered on 21st February 21, 2019 by removing the person presently occupying the defendants’ National Secretariat.

Justice Simon Amobeda ruled on the suit brought before it Ben Dimkpa and four others representing members of IPMAN Eastern zone against the Registered Trustees of IPMAN led by Aminu Abdulkadir

“That the Inspector General of Police and Commissioner of Police FCT be and are hereby ordered to obey, implement and execute the judgement of this court delivered on February 21, 2019 by ensuring the removal of any person presently occupying the defendants National Secretariat. That the execution of the judgement shall be with immediate effect,” the court said.

State Chairman of IPMAN, Edet Umana, argued that the two Federal High Court, Calabar orders put in place by Okoronkwo, were from the same court and were given despite a subsisting judgements from the Appeal Court and the December 14, 2018 judgement of the Supreme Court.

The court delivered judgement in the case brought by Chief Obasi Lawson against Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo and 10 others, confirming Okoronkwo as the authentic national leader of IPMAN and by extension, all the state executives put in place by him.

Following the development, motorist and commuters have been experiencing hard times getting fuel as they prayed for urgent government intervene to avoid a worsening situation as most independent stations refused to sell anyproducts.