From: Ben Dunno, Warri
Administrative and commercial activities at the Warri Depot office premises of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Associations of Nigeria (IPMAN) was, on Tuesday, shut down by the management of Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) in an attempt to forestall breakdown of law and order within its area of operation.
In the notice announcing the closure of the office addressed to its Chairman, Mr. Benjamin Emoefe, popularly known as BenJones, and pasted on the entrance of the office, PPMC noted that the decision to shut down the IPMAN yard became absolutely necessary to maintain peaceful working environment until an improved situation was observed.
The letter signed by the PPMC Area Manager, Mr. Gyet Dogara, clearly established that the management decision was hinged on a security report of a possible bloody confrontation among the aggrieved members of the association loyal to the outgoing Chairman, BenJones and the other group opposed to his second term in office.
The letter titled, “Imminent Breakdown Of Law and Order In IPMAN, Warri Depot”, PPMC cited pending court cases and the decision of the outing Chairman, BenJones, to constitute a caretaker committee to run the affairs of the associations for a specified period of time for election to be conducted as some of the reasons that could trigger off the latest crisis.
The notice letter read in part: “Your Memo dated 14th of December, 2017, with subject reference, ‘Constitution Of Caretaker Committee To Run The Affairs Of IPMAN, Warri Depot Unit Refer, pending court issues as stated in your memo, couple with other challenges in the Association. Also reliable security information received today call for an urgent action to guide against any untoward”.
“Arising from the above, the IPMAN office in Warri Depot shall be closed with effect from Tuesday, 19 December, 2017, until an improved situation is observed”.
“This is to enable us maintain a peaceful working environment at the Depot”, it concluded.
The letter dated 18 of December, 2017, was copied to the Artillery Command, PPMC, Officers In Charge BIB, DSS and Anti Bombs unit in PPMC as well as the Divisional Police Officer (DPO) Ekpan Police station.