Imo state government has urged petroleum marketers in the state, planning to embark on a strike from tomorrow (Tuesday), following the demolition of a filling station belonging to their member by the administration of Rochas Okorocha, to jettison the idea and wait for the decision of the court on the matter.
The state Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Hon Declan Emelumba, who gave the advice in a statement said that the planned strike by the petroleum marketers “is prejudicial to the extant case and therefore subjudice.”
According to Emelmba, the marketers’ grouse stemmed from an alleged refusal of the state government to obey a court judgment on payment of compensation to their member whose filling station at Orlu was demolished by the Rochas Okorocha’s administration.
The Commissioner noted the government has reasons to believe there is more to the planned strike than meets the eye given that the said judgment on the matter was hidden from the current administration and no effort was made by the aggrieved member to dialogue with the current administration on the issue.
“First the judgment itself was hidden from the current administration and no effort was made to dialogue with the government by the aggrieved member. Inspite of this, when the government found out about the judgment, it responded appropriately as a law abiding government by proceeding on appeal.
“Secondly and curiously, the petroleum marketers have made desperate efforts to hoodwink tanker drivers to stop the supply of petroleum products to the state by midnight of Monday August 23rd,obviously using the influence of the affected member who was once a tanker driver himself. Why should the marketers succumb to involving Petroleum and Natural Gas Association of Nigeria (PENGASAN), in a local affair that has nothing to do with that association? This clearly suggests that there are other motives behind the planned strike.The petroleum marketers must therefore be mindful of being dragged into a strike they do not know its full motive.
Since the matter is still in court, it amounts to self help for petroleum marketers to embark on a strike which in the eyes of the law is totally illegal”, he submitted.
Emelumba further stated that, since the aggrieved marketer had approached the court over the issue himself, the right thing was for him to wait for the ruling of the higher court on the issue rather resorted to self help by mobilising members to embark on strike.
He further: “It therefore goes without saying that the planned strike by petroleum marketers in Imo state is prejudicial to the extant case and therefore subjudice.
“Government is not unmindful of the consequential effects of such an illegal action on the state economy and on innocent residents of the state.
“While the Government has the responsibility to ensure the maintenance of law and order,it regrets to note that the planned strike in this volatile security situation in the country is ill advised, more so when it is glaring that it is an affront to the law.
“However, as a law abiding Government, this administration is assuring the petroleum marketers that it will abide by any decision of the highest court when the matter is fully determined.
“Since the affected owner of the demolished filling station is yet to exhaust all legal options available and since there exists a pendancy of appeal on the matter, any strike in whatever form and by whosoever named remains illegal and will be treated as such.
“Finally, Government hereby advises those planning the strike to respect the law in the interest of peace and economic well being of the people.”