The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) Enugu unit, has appealed to Governor Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra State to come to their aid by paying the over N900 million debt owed to them by the state government.

The debt is for the supply of diesel used for streetlights across the state.

Speaking to newsmen on Sunday after their 2025 Annual General Meeting (AGM) in Enugu, the chairman of the unit, Chief Chinedu Anyaso, said that eight of their members have died due to stress and shock from financial institutions demanding aggressive loan repayments. He noted that the deceased members were among those owed by the state government.

“The Anambra State Government debt has been recurring for the past one year, notwithstanding three official letters and direct appeals to the governor and functionaries of the state concerned. Till now, nothing has been done.

“We are taking the diplomatic route since we do not want to direct our members to go on strike or stop sales of fuel products, which will further compound the suffering and hardship of ordinary citizens.

“If IPMAN members go on strike, it is clear that a litre of fuel (petrol) might go up to about N2,000 and N3,000 in the state, as well as other attendant negative impacts of such a move.

“However, we want the state government to listen to our appeal and the pathetic situation of IPMAN members, who had made the supply and are currently indebted to financial institutions.”

Anyaso said that some of the stations owned by their members have been taken over by financial institutions. He added, “We have decided to take the diplomatic route to appeal to the state government to pay us because if we direct our members to go on strike, a litre of fuel (petrol) might go up to between N2,000 and N3,000 in the state, which will further compound the suffering of ordinary citizens.”

He stressed that IPMAN was committed to maintaining its reputation for service and product excellence, adding:

“IPMAN resolved and planned to set up a task force to ensure compliance of all members to fuel pump integrity.”

According to him, the task force will be inaugurated in September and will operate through dedicated teams in each state under the unit.

“In order to sanitise the system and ensure that the reputation of IPMAN and our members’ fuel stations are maintained, the members during the AGM unanimously agreed that fuel pump cheating and malpractice must be stopped.

“IPMAN will set up a daily mandate task force soon, while the association’s members collectively agreed on a heavy monetary fine as well as sanctions for any defaulting fuel station owned by any member,” he said.

He noted that the association had resolved to be firm in dealing with the menace through its own internal disciplinary mechanism, just as the association eradicated stocking bad fuel.

The chairman said that IPMAN Enugu Unit also appreciated the strides of various governors and state governments on development, especially road and security infrastructure in the unit’s states of coverage.