The marketers association said it was not party to attempt to blackmail the government.
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) is neither planning to go on strike nor planning to shut fuel stations nationwide, its National President, Sanusi Fari, said on Monday.
The association’s National Secretary, Chidi Nnubia, issued a statement in Awka to enjoin citizens to dismiss any information regarding any planned strike by IPMAN.
The association’s spokesman, Yakubu Suleiman, had threatened on Monday that IPMAN would go on strike and shut fuel stations nationwide beginning from Tuesday because the police laid siege on its secretariat.
Mr Suleiman alleged that some police officers laid siege on IPMAN’s National Secretariat last Friday for undisclosed reasons.
He said that aggrieved IPMAN members and officials at states, zonal and depot levels, held series of meetings and threatened to shut filling stations if the issue was not properly addressed.
IPMAN’s National President, Mr Fari, however, urged petroleum dealers and the public to ignore Mr Suleiman’s position.
He also advised the public not to engage in panic buying of petroleum products.
“We wish to inform the general public that our members have no plans to shut down any petrol station in the country as there is no reason to take such action.
“Our members are directed to disregard a publication by some persons whose stock in trade is to sabotage the efforts of the federal government and the PPMC to provide an uninterrupted supply of petroleum products nationwide.
“Those individuals lack the capacity to call off our services as they are illegally parading themselves as officers of the association in total disregard and disobedience of a Supreme Court judgment of December 14, 2018.” Mr Fari said in the statement.
The IPMAN president condemned attempts by some groups within the association to blackmail the government by calling out marketers for a nationwide protest.
Mr Fari said IPMAN was working harmoniously with sister organisations including the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG) workers and the National Association of Road Transport Owners.
He added that IPMAN was also working in harmony with the petroleum tanker drivers unit of NUPENG to ensure an adequate supply of petroleum products nationwide.
