Supreme Court resolves IPMAN leadership tussle, strikes out suit
Titus Akhigbe, Benin
The Supreme Court has struck out the claims of one Chief Obasi Lawson challenging the leadership of the National President of the Independent Petroleum Marketers of Nigeria (IPMAN), Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo, describing the claims sought in the suit as incompetent and a mere academic exercise.
The apex court which delivered its judgment recently in suit No. SC15/2015 through Justice Musa Dattijo Muhammad, also dismissed the preliminary objections of the appellant and awarded jointly and severally N2 million in favour of the respondents.
In line with the judgment, the national executive council of IPMAN has appointed Chief Solomon Nosakhare Ogbewe and Pastor Ezekiel Olusegun as zonal chairman and secretary respectively, for the Midwest zone of IPMAN.
A letter signed by Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo and Alhaji Danladi Pasali, national president and secretary, urged the newly appointed officers to liaise with the officials of the Nigeria National Petroleum Corporation (NNPC) and the Petroleum Products Marketing Company (PPMC) in the zone for effective allocation and distribution of petroleum products for IPMAN members in the zone.
It also enjoined them to ensure that members sell the products at regulated official prices, as the national body will not tolerate contravention of government’s rules and regulations in the oil industry, as well as for the duo to ensure that the products are available for Nigerians at all times in filling stations located in the zone.
It would be recalled that the lingering leadership tussle that rocked the IPMAN since the election of the present executives headed by Elder Chinedu Okoronkwo had been laid to rest by the Supreme Court.
