Petrol Marketers’ Strike Grounds Akwa Ibom

Long queues in filling stations in Uyo metropolis have resurfaced as the ongoing strike by the Independent Petroleum Marketers (IPMAN), Akwa Ibom State branch entered its second day, with the parallel market price peaking at N1,500 per litre, checks by LEADERSHIP Weekend have revealed.

“My neighbour had told me filling stations would be closed from Thursday because of the IPMAN strike, that I should buy fuel and store, but I ignored hoping it might not hold since there was no earlier notice,” Ubong Ekpo, a tricycle operator from the neighbouring Ibiono Ibom LGA, said.

The strike, at the instance of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), it was gathered, followed the seizure of two of their tankers by the military Joint Task Force (JTF) about a year ago in Mbo local government area for alleged diversion and ferrying contaminated (bunkering) petroleum products.

Although one of the trucks was said to have been set ablaze by the JTF, and the other taken for custody at the headquarters in Yenagoa, capital of Bayelsa State, all entreaties for the release of the tankers proved abortive despite the intervention of the State government led by governor Umo Eno.

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Consequently, the state IPMAN with head office in the neighbouring Calabar, Cross River State, it was learnt, directed the State chairman, Comrade Francis Udoyen, to call out members on strike.

However, the Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) and the Petroleum Products Monitoring Committee (PPMC), have faulted the strike, describing it as illegal as due process of negotiations and the required 21 – days notice was not issued before the strike which, according to them, always come as the last resort as provided in labour laws.

The chairman of PPMC, Obong Godwin Ekpo, pointed out that all avenues to arrive at amicable resolution of the impasse were not explored as the IPMAN leaders had shunned a letter to that effect extended to them by the committee.

“The state IPMAN turned down the offer for negotiation,” Ekpo, disclosed, describing their action as “sabotage”, recalling that his committee had earlier interfaced with the JTF commander, leading to the recovery of a tanker earlier seized and burnt by the task force on April 20, 2025, for allegedly conveying bunkering fuel.

He assured that he would have deployed the same diplomacy to cause the release of the seized trucks, but for the refusal of the IPMAN team to come for the round table talk on the matter.

The state NLC chairman, Comrade Sunny James, wondered why IPMAN should issue directive for strike only in Akwa Ibom, from Calabar, Cross River State, questioning its locus as an independent body that is not functioning as a trade union.

He warned that the NLC would go the whole hog to resist the action by breaking the ranks of the strike, noting that “it’s completely illegal to toe the line of strike without notifying government before plunging the State and the people into avoidable disruption of socio-economic activities.”