IPMAN Calabar Unit Faults Abang's Purported Inauguration As Unacceptable, Ultra Vires

... Says Power-mongers Attempting To Hijack IPMAN

By Dominic OKOH 

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Calabar Unit, has the purported inauguration of one Mr. Peter Okim Abang, the Task Force chairman on Petroleum, as the Unit's "new" chairman, describing such action as unacceptable and ultra vires the rule of law.

Our attention has been drawn to the purported inauguration of one Mr. Peter Okim Abang, the Task Force chairman on Petroleum, as the "new" chairman of Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Calabar unit.

Beagle News gathered that Abang, who also served as an appointee of former Governor Ben Ayade on Petroleum Matters, was inaugurated by IPMAN's national leadership, on Wednesday, July 12, 2023, with the Secretary to the State Government of Cross River State, Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh, in attendance to give the event a semblance of official colouration; a situation that is causing disquiet among stakeholders.

A press statement by the IPMAN, Calabar Unit's Chairman, Comrade Robert Obi, released yesterday, 13th July, 2023, said such illegality remains a huge surprise to marketers of Calabar unit of IPMAN, adding that "The Association feels worried at desperate moves by some power-mongers to hijack IPMAN leadership even when they know that such actions are unacceptable and would be acting ultra vires the rule of law."

"Well, it is on record that IPMAN Calabar Unit is led by Comrade Robert Asue Obi, who has been piloting the affairs of the Association courtesy of an order of a court of competent jurisdiction. Privileged information has it that Comrade Robert A. Obi and his erstwhile rival in crisis, Elder Edet Umana are at the verge of concluding a conciliation process for peace which has eluded the unit for more than four years to return, seeing an end to the existence of factions in the unit. 

"It is, therefore, worrisome to hear the resurrection of another intra Calabar unit faction put in place by the chief architect of the national crisis in IPMAN, Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo and ably supported by his kinsmen in Calabar.

"Well, for avoidance of doubt, we wish to state that shortly after Governor Bassey Otu's assumption of office, the leadership of IPMAN under Comrade Robert Obi, with their counsel, served the new administration with a letter exhibiting all judgements covering the crisis and we expected government to critically examine such documents (judgements) as annexures in which Comrade Robert Obi remains the authentic chairman of IPMAN," the release stated.

Comrade Obi insisted that his leadership of IPMAN Calabar Unit is in line with the Federal High Court ruling in Suit No. FHC/CA/FHR/95/2019 which declared him so and has been subsisting with no reversal by any appellate court, noting that "we expected the government to have been very cautious having read the warning notice. But that was not to be as the government has taken side with a new faction inaugurated on July 12, 2023."

The release re-stated Comrade Obi did not assume Calabar Unit IPMAN leader through factionalism, but rather declared by a Court of competent jurisdiction, stating that other clique, after futile attempts to challenge the judgment, as rightly advised by their lawyers, had submitted to a peaceful and amicable resolution of the Calabar unit crisis, with majority of marketers of the unit awaiting the final declaration of the return of peace.

Further, the statement said: "It is therefore, disheartening that marketeers, who have enjoyed relative peace in the unit depot since the peace process commenced, woke up to hear and saw one Peter Abang, allegedly 'recruited" by self-acclaimed factional President in the person of Chinedu Okoronkwo, who dosociated himself from the peace, to be proclaimed chairman, Calabar unit ,using a few disgruntled kinsmen in Calabar unit and non marketers.

"The Chinedu Okoronkwo-led national faction, who tried to use our members before now to frustrate Calabar unit, has failed, but has again resorted to using another group led by a government appointee in the person of Peter Abang. It will still fail because we are now one indivisible body, courtesy of the just concluded peace process. So, we are focused on reconsolidation of all IPMAN stakeholders for peaceful co-existence and ease of doing business in the Calabar Unit.

"Their claim that the current executive of IPMAN have stayed for a long while in office is beyond their jurisdiction and an issue of law not for the like of Abang to determine because again, Robert Obi-led exco was legally constituted and endorsed by a Court of competent jurisdiction with no appellate ruling against it," it clarified.

Condemning Peter Okim Abang's Inauguration as factional election of no consequence, maintaining that "there can be no general and acceptable elections in the unit if the factions are not United and in agreement."

In the above light, the Robert Obi-led IPMAN called on the state government led by Sen. Bassey Edet Otu, to steer clear from the affairs and leadership of IPMAN to forestall further crisis that could be inimical to the already- existing peace and tranquility in the Depot.

"We wonder the intentions of the government that is supposed to obey and promote the rule of law disobeying it and pitching tent with a newly created faction. This is a wrong signal. Our expectations of a new government is for it to drive the rule of law and encourage or promote absolute peace in the state.

"Our Dear Governor should not be seen to be encouraging illegalities or be a party to something that could disintegrate our Association. We enjoin him to call his aides to order and should rather engage in activities and programmes that unite the state and not the ones that promote division amongst us," the statement concluded.

Meanwhile, Cross River government has said its presence at the inauguration of Abang was on the basis of recognition of the national leadership of the petroleum marketers.

Mr. Emmanuel Ogbeche, spokesperson of Governor Bassey Otu further said that government's attendance in the inauguration was in relation to the supreme ruling of 2018 that recognised the national leadership that supervised Wednesday's election.