Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), has called on Gov. Chukwuma Soludo of Anambra to pay N901 million owed members for the supply of Automotive Gas Oil for powering streetlights in the state.
Mr Chinedu Anyaso and Chairman and Secretary of IPMAN Enugu Depot Community, Mr Emeka Iloafor, made the call in a reminder letter to Soludo.
The letter was entitled “Re; Request For Debt Payment of N900,664,805.00 Owed Our Members For Diesel Supplied And Services Rendered In Respect Of Street Lights.”
A copy of the letter which was made available to journalists in Awka on Thursday, said months after returning generators in their custody as directed as a condition for payment, the government was yet to honour its promise.
The marketers said the affected members could no longer remain in business as they were under heavy burden of debt to their banks and their staff, some of whom had been laid off.
According to IPMAN, “We humbly request once more for the debt payment in respect of the above subject matter.
“Your Commissioner for Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs wrote to us that our members that were owed these debts were withholding government generators.
“They have since returned and reported back to his office since December, 2023.
“We have not heard from him since then and our members are seriously and heavily indebted to banks and individuals who are threatening them on a daily basis.
“Kindly intervene to save the situation as we are ready to always cooperate with your government for its success,” he said.
It would be recalled that IPMAN had in September last year made payment of the debt owed to about 70 members who operated as contractors in the streetlight project of Anambra before the government terminated the contracts to migrate to solar-powered street lights.
The state Commissioner for Petroleum, Mr Tony Ifeanya, said the government was handling the issue and that it would be settled soon.
According to him, “We are handling it, we are talking with them. It will be sorted out soon.”