IPMAN Suspends Strike After Talks with Akwa Ibom Petroleum Committee

Here’s your story rewritten with a sharper

By Asuquo Edem

UYO — The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) in Akwa Ibom State has suspended its strike action less than 24 hours after it began, following a meeting with the state’s Petroleum Products Monitoring Committee (PPMC).

The strike, which started yesterday, was triggered by the impoundment of IPMAN trucks in Mbo Local Government Area in 2024. The industrial action led to fuel scarcity across the state, with supplies limited to major marketers such as NNPC, AP, Rain Oil, and A.A. Rano.

During a closed-door dialogue at Luton Park Hotels, Uyo, on Thursday, the PPMC, led by its chairman, Hon. Godwin Ekpo, met with IPMAN executives to broker peace.

Speaking after the meeting, IPMAN State Chairman, Comrade Francis Udoeyen, said the decision to suspend the strike was taken “in the interest of peace and stability” and to ease the burden on the public. He added that the association would continue engaging with relevant authorities to resolve the long-standing dispute over the seized trucks.

Udoeyen commended the PPMC for its intervention in restoring normalcy to fuel distribution in the state.

Also present at the meeting, the State Chairman of the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC), Comrade Sunny James, lauded IPMAN’s decision to return to work and pledged the NLC’s support for peaceful conflict resolution. He stressed that dialogue remains the best path to addressing issues affecting workers and the public.

With the suspension of the strike, petroleum product supply in Akwa Ibom is expected to return to normal in the coming days.

Comments

Breaking: A’Ibom Governor Removes Two Aides Amid Restructuring, Alleged PDP Links

Akwa Ibom State Governor, Pastor Umo Bassey Eno, has relieved two aides of their duties with immediate effect, the state government announced on Monday. The affected officials are: Joseph Jacob Ikpak, Senior Special Assistant to the Governor on Support Services Felix Ekuri, Special Assistant to the Governor on Neighbourhood Watch Their disengagement was contained in a statement issued by the Secretary to the State Government (SSG), Prince Enobong Uwah, who described the action as part of the governor’s ongoing efforts to realign the machinery of government with the Renewed Hope and ARISE Agenda. The statement did not provide further details on the circumstances leading to their removal. However, it was gathered from multiple political sources that the decision may be linked to the aides’ alleged association with the opposition Peoples Democratic Party (PDP). The claim has not been officially confirmed, and the government has not commented on the speculation. Political analysts no...

Tragedy at Ikot Ekpene General Hospital: Akwa Ibom Governor Orders Probe Into Maternal Death

By Asuquo Edem UYO – A tragic incident at the General Hospital, Ikot Ekpene, has sparked public outrage after a young mother and her newborn reportedly died following a caesarean section, prompting Governor Umo Eno of Akwa Ibom State to order an immediate high-powered investigation. A disturbing video of the grieving family began circulating on social media over the weekend, drawing widespread condemnation and raising fresh concerns over maternal mortality in the state. Moved by the incident, Governor Eno expressed his condolences to the bereaved family and directed the Commissioner for Health, Dr. Ekem Emmanuel John, to convene a commission of inquiry comprising medical and legal experts. The panel is expected to establish the circumstances surrounding the deaths and recommend preventive measures. In a dramatic move, Dr. John led a midnight team of officials from the Ministry of Health to the hospital for an on-the-spot preliminary investigation, gathering firsthand testimonies f...

Financial Impropriety, Abuse Of Power: AKHA Receives Petition Against Ikono Chairman

The Akwa Ibom State House of Assembly today during Plenary received a petition against the Council Chairman of Ikono, Hon. Otobong Essien, where the Councillors have accused her of misconduct in the discharge of her official duties. This was contained in a petition presented before the Assembly by the Chairman, House Committee on Judiciary, Justice, Human Rights, and Public Petitions, Hon. Aniefiok Attah. The petition, signed by Hon. Saviour Ebong, Leader of the 8th Ikono Legislative Council, Deputy Leader Hon. Idorenyin Akpan, and ten other councillors, accused the Council Chairman of unlawfully withdrawing public funds from the local government council's account without the necessary authorisation from the Legislative Council. The councillors described her actions as dishonorable, illegal, and a blatant abuse of power. Additionally, the councillors alleged that the Chairman misappropriated council funds in violation of Section 66(1) of the Local Government Administr...

The Empire Naija

Search This Blog