By Izunna Okafor, Awka
The leadership of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has called on the Anambra State Governor, Prof. Chukwuma Charles Soludo to pay the debt of over over nine hundred million naira owed the members by the state government for the supply of Automotive Gas Oil (AGO), popularly called diesel, for powering of streetlights across the state.
The call was contained in a reminder letter signed by the Chairman of IPMAN (Enugu Depot Community), Mr. Chinedu Anyaso and the Secretary, Mr. Emeka Iloafor, and addressed to the Governor Soludo, reminding him of the lingering debt.
According to them in the letter entitled “Re: Request for Debt Payment of N900,664,805.00 Owed Our Members for Diesel Supplied and Services Rendered In Respect of Streetlights”, months after returning government’s generators in their custody as directed as a condition for payment, the government was yet to honour its promise.
While making copies of the letter available to newsmen in Awka on Thursday the IPMAN leadership said the affected marketers could no longer remain in business, as they were under heavy burden of debt to their banks and their staff, some of whom had been laid off.
“We humbly request once more for the debt payment in respect of the above subject matter.
“Your Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs wrote to us that our members that were owed these debts were withholding government’s generators.
“They have since returned and reported back to his office since last December, 2023.
“We have not heard from him since then and our members are seriously and heavily indebted to banks and individuals who are threatening them on a daily basis,” the letter partly reads.
The group further pledged to continue to collaborate with the Soludo administration to ensure the success of his policies for the good of Anambra people.
“Kindly intervene to save the situation as we are ready to always cooperate with your government for her success,” they added.
Recall that IPMAN, in September 2023, made payment of the debt owed to about 70 members who operated as contractors in the streetlight project of Anambra before the government terminated the contracts to migrate to solar powered streetlights, thereby owing the marketers.
