The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria has called on the Governor of Anambra State, Chukwuma Soludo, to protect the operations of marketers in the state from the plague of multiple taxes and harassment by different agents.
IPMAN, which made the call at an emergency general meeting with members in Awka on Wednesday, issued a 21-working days’ notice to shut down operations if the grouses were not addressed.
The ultimatum was a unanimous decision of no fewer than 700 marketers in attendance.
The meeting was presided over by Mr Chinedu Anyaso, Chairman of IPMAN Enugu Community Depot, and members of his executive and Chief Linus Mgbakaogu, a national ex officio.
The marketers said they had an agreement of harmonised revenue agreement approved by Soludo and had been keeping their part of the bargain by paying as and when due.
They expressed dismay that some local government officials and agencies were coming up with different types of demand notices, arresting members and extorting money from them.
Anyaso said members were asked by the House of Assembly to produce some operational documents but IPMAN was of the position that only the Nigeria Midstream and Downstream Petroleum Regulatory Agency had such powers under the Petroleum Industry Act.
According to him, marketers agreed on annual fees/levies of N120,000 with the Anambra government, which Gov. Soludo approved, and we had been complying fully with the terms.
“But now we have different demand notices, general purpose fees, Land Use Charge, fire, Signage, waste management, and worse if it is that Local Government Councils are arresting and extorting our members under different guises.
“We are appealing to Gov. Soludo to protect our members in Anambra; we have an existing agreement; if that is no longer applicable, they should sit with us for renegotiation; that is why we are asking that this harassment and extortion should be addressed.
“So we are giving a 21-day strike notice within which the state government, Local government, and marketers would meet for discussion on revenue, and we expect that all court cases are withdrawn and all arrested members freed,” he said.
Anyaso also called on the Federal Government to address the issue of unpaid bridge claims by members in the zZubeand pay them so they could remain in business.
Also, Chief Linus Mgbakaogu, a national ex officio of IPMAN, described the business environment for members in Anambra as hostile.
According to him, the agreement we reached with other states, as we did with Anambra, is still subsisting, but I do not know why the governor’s order is being disregarded by various agents of the state.
“Mr Governor is our person, the buck stops on his table and we expect that he should protect us,” he said.
In his speech, Mr Greg Ezeilo, Chairman of the Anambra Internal Revenue Service, blamed the misunderstanding on Local Government chairmen, who wished to assert their autonomy but promised to intervene and ensure that the areas of concern were addressed.
Ezeilo said Soludo was keen on improving the Ease of Business in Anambra and would not condone anything that would jeopardise businesses.
