Dan Opara
As part of ensuring lasting peace ,unity, and progress amongst members, the leadership of the ” Association of Imo Petroleum Marketers/Dealers, Imo State Chapter, under the headship and control of the President, Sir. Chidiebere Michael Okoroafor, KSC, (owner of EbereLinks Filling Stations), on Tuesday, Dec.18th 2018, successfully held the 2018 End of the year party amidst merriment and jubilation galore in a grand style in Owerri.
The Association’s end of the year party ceremony which to place at Greatwood Hotels Ltd. along Owerri/PH road Owerri, attracted some top government officials, business moguls, friends, well-wishers, users of petrol, kerosene, and diesel, who were the major customers to the members of the association.
Others who were able in present at the ceremony includes: Management of the Department of Petroleum Resources, DPR, members of the Nigerian Civil Defence Corps, the authority of the Department of Security Services, DSS, the management of Owerri Capital Development Authority, OCDA, and those from the Federal Road Safety Corporation, FRSC, amongst other statutory agencies from across the state.
The President of the Association, Sir. Okoroafor, in his address, expressed on the successes recorded in the union under his watch since September 7th, 2017 when his leadership emerged to pilot the affairs of the body.
He thanked Almighty God for keeping all the members of the association alive as they have gathered to rejoice,deliberate and praise God who made it possible for every member of the union to witness the 2018 end of the year General Assembly Meeting of the association and to hand over the new year 2019 to God, after one year in office as the president, which he disclosed that his administration has been very fruitful for the past 15 months.
“I am thanking God for the gift of life for all and sundry. It is a great privilege to gather once again as a team with one united purpose aimed at moving our association forward. We are grateful to all our guests who have honored our invitation regardless of your various busy and tight schedules”, he appreciated.
“You may recall that in our 2017 end of the year party,we highlighted that our association’s commitment to provide services to our numerous customers within our Regulatory ambits and best practices in ensuring the availability of Petroleum products including but not limited to Premium Motor Spirit,PMS or Petrol, Diesel,AGO,Kerosene,DPK, and the distributions of the products at regulated prices. We make bold to say that members of the association have lived up this commitment regardless of the challenging business environment in which we have operated thus far”, the President boasted.
Sir. Okoroafor fingered some departments of the government as one of the association’s challenges in the area of levies, even as he alleged arbitrary imposition of levies from the government.
“We are now in useful engagements with the Regulator and other government agencies which have deepened the level of partnership and collaboration between these organizations and the association as well as a better relationship with members of the association”, Eberelink said.
” We have notable engagements like the Association’s visit to the Zonal Controller, DPR, the meeting with the National Body of PTD, the meeting with the Brigade Commander 34th Artillery Brigade, Obinze Owerri, the Resolution of the Issues with the Tanker Drivers and the visit to the Commanders, Civil Defence Corps”, the President revealed.
Sir. Okoroafor, therefore, commended all the indefatigable members of the association for their manifest support and the Executives for their selfless service to the union at all times.
Speaking, the Controller of DPR Imo State, Chief Peter Ijeh, extolled the leadership of the Imo Oil Marketers and promised that there would not be any hike of petroleum products during the 2018 Xmas festivity.
The Imo DPR Controller, Mr. Ijeh, thanked the members of the association for what he described as unity, described it as the only remedy to development.
He made it crystal clear that DPR has no plan to hike or hoard petroleum.
Imo DPR Controller, Ijeh, said: “we in DPR are planning to make cooking gas available to every household in the country and our idea is on top gear”.
He boasted that soonest, that the method of cooking with wood would be history.
