By Ovat Abeng
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has threatened to shut down operations in Anambra on June 12, 2025 over what they lamented as multiple taxation in the state.
The association hand down the threat during its emergency meeting, held at the Orpet Petrol Station Agu-Awka, Awka, on Wednesday.
The meeting according to the Chairman of IPMAN, Enugu Depot Community in Charge of Anambra, Ebonyi and Enugu States, Comrade Chinedu Anyaso, who spoke to journalists shortly after the meeting, is to express their dissatisfaction with the way and manner IPMAN members are being harassed, molested, intimidated and extorted with multiple levies by officers of the Anambra State Internal Revenue Service (AIRS).
He threatened that if Anambra State Government fails to address the aforementioned issues within a period of 21 days, the association who have no other option than to shut down all petrol stations across the state.
According to Anyaso, “we are all gathered here today to deliberate and to expressed the pains, we are currently going through in the hands of the Anambra State revenue collectors. The attitude of this tax collectors have overwhelmed our imagination. We have lost a lot of money to this uncontrollable taxations in Anambra State. How much are we making per truck? Petroleum marketers are dying in Anambra State. In 2024, we paid N120,000 to the State Government as our monthly levy, but to our greatest surprise, we start paying above the stipulated amount of N120, 000 from January, 2025. The development is creating inconveniences for us to operate delightfully in the state.
“The development is not really going well with us in the state. We are going through hard times because of the challenges.
“I will sent an official letter to the State Government on this regard. We are law abiding citizen, the AIRS officials should stopped molesting us. We want the state government to give us a fixed amount for the levy.
“IPMAN may decide to shut down operations in Anambra State without further notification if the exploitation and intimidation did not stop within the working period of 21 days.”
Anyaso called on the State Governor, Chukwuma Charles Soludo to urgently intervene by stopping what he described as criminal exploitation of marketers by AIRS officials.
In his response, the state chairman of AIRS, Chief Greg Ezeilo, assured the markers that the state government will set up a committee to address the issues.