Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria, IPMAN, Aba Chapter, has called on the Federal Government to urgently resuscitate the long-abandoned Aba petroleum depot.
The Chairman of Aba Depot of IPMAN, Oliver Emeka Okolo made the call in Aba on Wednesday when he received the officials of National Orientation Agency, NOA, who came on public sensitization visit.
Okolo who underscored the urgent need for justice and infrastructural revival, warned that the prolonged shutdown of the Aba petroleum depot has deepened unemployment, escalated crime and disrupted fuel distribution across the five states in Nigeria’s South-East.
“The dormant state of the Aba depot is not just an economic issue, it is a social one, with ripple effects on youth unemployment, crime, and regional instability,”; Okolo said.
According to him, the continued lack of fuel supply due to poor pipeline connectivity, particularly for Premium Motor Spirit, PMS, and dual-purpose kerosene, DPK, has crippled operations.
He regretted that marketers are now forced to source products from the South-South and South-West regions, navigating treacherous road conditions that frequently damage tankers and result in significant losses.
“This is not just about fuel,”; Okolo said. “It is about how systemic neglect, financial, infrastructural, regulatory, has pushed an entire region to the margins. We need presidential-level intervention to resume pumping into Aba. Otherwise, the damage will only deepen.”;
The IPMAN chairman further promised that the association collaborate with the NOA in promotion of National unity.
In response, Victor Orji, Director of NOA, Abia State, applauded IPMAN for its dedication to fuel distribution despite adverse conditions and outlined NOA’s ongoing nationwide campaign titled ‘Pathway to National Cohesion, Development and Unity’.
He highlighted the campaign’s focus on tackling insurgency, banditry, kidnapping and herder-farmer conflicts, and called for support from petroleum marketers.
