By CHIMEZIE ANASO

The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has called on Gov. Chukwuma Soludo to pay contractors the sum of N900 million owed them for supplying Automotive Gas Oil (AGO) to power streetlights before they were stopped.

Mr Chinedu Anyaso, Chairman of the IPMAN, Enugu Depot Community in charge of Anambra, Ebony and Enugu States, made the call in Awka on Friday.

Anyaso said the contractor had complied with the directive of the government to return all the generators in their custody in the bid to recover their debts when the contracts were terminated.

He said marketers in the state may have to suspend operations without further notice until the state government paid them.

He said the marketers were heavily indebted to their lenders and their businesses were being distressed because of their trapped capital.

Anyaso said IPMAN had written the Anambra government to inform it that they had met the conditions set for them to pay the marketers their money.

A copy of the letter, which was made available to journalists, said the IPMAN general assembly was eagerly waiting for the response of the Anambra government to their demand.

The letter, titled Request For Debt Payment of N900,664,805.00 owed our members for Diesel supplied and Services Rendered in Respect Of Street Lights, was addressed to the ministry of Local Government, Chieftaincy and Community Affairs.

We refer to your response on the above subject, dated Nov. 3 on the report of some vendors that are yet to return some of Government-owned generator sets allotted to them for the street lights projects.

Be informed, Sir, that all the generators have been fully returned to the Government.

We, therefore, humbly request that the debt payments owed our members for diesel supplied and services rendered be treated and paid as promised, it said. (NAN)