August 09, (THEWILL) – The Cross River State government has called for harmony among stakeholders in the oil sector of the state.
The government acknowledged the contributions of the oil sector to the state’s economy, stating that the present administration has no intention of instigating disharmony in the sector.
The Secretary to the state government, Professor Anthony Owan Enoh, disclosed this in his office during a courtesy visit by the leadership of the Calabar Unit of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and affiliate bodies operating in the Calabar Petroleum Depot, led by Prince Robert Obi.
In his words, “I think the state government is grateful for the hard work and harmony in the oil sector. The Nigerian economy is heavily dependent on oil and any sneeze in the sector affects the entire nation. CRS is not excluded.
“It would have been very unreasonable for the state government, by my presence, to be the one to cause any problem in the oil sector.
“We crave harmony in the oil sector. Because only through harmony, calm, and understanding among stakeholders can the government have the best.
“We know the role you play in terms of your contributions to the growth of the economy of the state in supply, taxes and other revenue sources.
“We thank God that we are now on the same page. On same page we shall continue to drive the affairs of this state, using the oil sector to derive the best for the government”, Professor Enoh said.
He reassured the IPMAN leadership of the support of the present administration, particularly his presence at an event involving the national IPMAN official and others in Calabar, insisting that he was there in an individual capacity, not as an official of the government.
He said, “When last we met with Mr Asue, somehow, the impression was that the state government was being partisan because my presence at the occasion signalled government support for the action of Mr Okim Abang.
“When I got the reaction from IPMAN stakeholders, I did one thing, which someone said was very unusual. To write a kind of apology explaining that my presence at the said event was purely personal, reason why I did not make any statement. So when I heard of the outcry from you, I had to tender my unreserved apology with all humility.”
Earlier in his remarks, the Chairman of the Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN), Prince Robert Obi, congratulated Governor Bassey Otu and his deputy, Rt. Hon. Peter Odey, on their electoral victory, inauguration and assumption of office, as well as the governor’s wise selection of a technocrat in the person of Prof. Anthony Owan Enoh, as Secretary to the State Government.
He said the purpose of the visit was to introduce the IPMAN leadership and stakeholders of the Depot community to the government through the SSG, solicit the present administration’s support, as well as pledge IPMAN’s unflinching cooperation to the Otu-led government.
The IPMAN boss thanked Prof. Enoh for his humility in tendering an apology over his hitherto misconstrued presence at an event, midwived by the Union’s dissidents and birthed by one Mr Okim Abang (who was, in 2022, barred by the then government from interfering with activities of Depot operations), calculated to stall the peace of IPMAN and its affiliate bodies.
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.
