…….Advises NUPENG , Dangote to dialogue
South East zone of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria,IPMAN led by it’s National Ex-officio, Hon Chukwudi Fred Ezinwa, Monday , in Enugu, urged members of the association to ignore the call by “an imposter chairman”, Prince Bobby Dick on them to embark on strike as directed by NUPENG.
Ezinwa said Bobby Dick is not the Zonal chairman of IPMAN and has no powers to issue such directives.
Hon. Ezinwa, who is a National Ex- officio ,representing South East zone said the South East Zonal chairman of IPMAN, Larry Nworu, died three weeks ago and Prince Booby Dick is an ‘impostor” and they don’t know him as the South East chairman.
Briefing newsmen in Enugu on Monday,on the NUPENG ,Dangote face- off, Hon Ezinwa noted that IPMAN is an organised body and has a laid down procedure of doing things. He said their national president, Gerima Shettima had not spoken on the NUPENG, Dangote face- off and Prince Dick had no powers to direct stations in the South East to go on strike. He added that IPMAN is neutral body on the issue and advised NUPENG and Dangote to dialogue.
Pix: IPMAN National Ex- officio, SouthbEast Zone, Hon. Chukwudi Ezinwa
Hon. Ezinwa, who was a former Zonal chairman ,Enugu depot, said Dangote is an investor and nobody will tell him how to run his business. On the labour union side, he said people are free to join a union or not to join.
According to him, the briefing was a reaction of what Prince Bobby Dick posted on social media that South East should join the strike.
” I want to urge the public to disregard him completely. I am a national officer of IPMAN, I don’t know him as our Zonal chairman, the national body does not know him as our Zonal chairman,so the public should disregard him completely.
“Our President , Alhaji Gerima Shettima has not said anything. We are playing a father’s role in this thing because we know the problem is between our employers and an investor. The issue is that there should be dialogue. There should be table discussion. Bring everybody together. Am glad that the minister for labour has summoned a meeting on this regard. That is the right way to go. Nigeria is passing through a lot of pains and we cannot add more injuries on the masses. So am of the opinion that people calling for strike should shield their opinion, ” he said.
Giving a background of the issue, Honorable Ezinwa said:
“Everybody in this country is aware that the downstream has been deregulated.It is a kind of a free market. Government has no control over it again.. I don’t see reason why in a deregulated society, some people will want that somebody who invested his money in a business would play according to what they want. Are they looking at after effects of that strike? The masses will suffer it.
” I strongly believe that they, calling for strike is uncalled for. What they should be doing now is constant dialogue, constant discussion.
“Before the emergence of the Independent Petroleum Marketers , they had the big five, from big five they had the big seven , from the big seven they had the big Eight, nobody went on strike. Along the line , an Act brought Independent Petroleum Marketers, nobody went on strike. The major marketers were doing their own, the indigenous marketers were doing their own, nobody went on strike. When people set up tank farms, nobody went on strike.” He wondered why someone would call for strike because Dangote refused his drivers to join a union.
Hon Ezinwa ,who was a former public relations officer of IPMAN added that some marketers collected loans from the bank to operate and wondered why someone will tell Independent Petroleum Marketers to shut down .
He also wondered why someone should call for strike because Dangote refused his drivers to join a union.
” Now, Dangote built a refinery, what goes around comes around.He got trucks to take down his products to the downstream. We are the ones that buy his products. If you don’t want it, you close down the way we closed down in the past.Why are they fighting back? Association is not compulsory. Why should people go on strike because of a man who said he wants to get his own drivers? he asked.
The former chairman,IPMAN, Enugu Depot, noted that his issue is the masses who are suffering . ” My issue is the suffering the masses are going to pass through if that thing lingers.The strike wouldn’t be felt by Dangote, the governors, Senators, and the rich in Nigeria. It’s only the poor and the common man in the streets that will feel it,”
he said.
“One man from the South East that said he is joining them is not our Zonal chairman because IPMAN has a structure.Am a National officer representing the South Eastern zone. So there is no way, a man who is not our Zonal chairman will claim he is. Our Zonal chairman died three weeks ago.
What is happening now is a national issue. He cannot tell us they are joining NUPENG, no, it’s wrong. He cannot speak when the president has not spoken. It is not a Zonal issue. I was once a Zonal chairman, so I know all these things. I thank God stations are on. What he has done has no effect. But I cannot keep quiet. If you keep quiet it will be in history. I had to put records straight.Dick is not a Zonal chairman and he should desist from claiming he is the Zonal chairman.,” Ezinwa said.
On his position on Dangote, NUPENG issues, Ezinwa said:
” I don’t want to join issues with them. Am not a driver, am an employer of labour. Ordinarily, if something was not going well, they were supposed to report the matter to IPMAN.
“Somebody has the right to say they don’t want to belong to an association. To me, I want Dangote and NUPENG to come together and dialogue.
People should open their stations and do their businesses. Downstream has been deregulated. Government has thrown it open. We should wake up from our slumber to know that this product has been deregulated. Dangote is loading, other depots are loading..Dangote is an investor who wants to make money. He said he doesn’t want his drivers to join a union.
“We, who are IPMAN we are appealing to them to call off the strike,” he said .
Author:Maureen Ikpeama