Nelson Utip
The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) and National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers ( NUPENG has issued a 21 days strike notice to the Cross River and Akwa Ibom state governments, calling on them to intervene on the deplorable state of the Calabar-Itu highway.
The Calabar unit of IPMAN in a letter dated March 6, 2026 and signed by the Chairman and Secretary of IPMAN, Mr Robert Obi, and Mr Victor Nnanna, respectively, warned that failure to intervene on the road would see the total shutdown of operations in both states.
IPMAN highlighted that at the expiration of the ultimatum, tank farms, depots, and filling stations in Cross River and Akwa Ibom states would be shutdown should the state governments fail to address their grievances.
They noted that their businesses had been severely hampered by the total collapse of the highway.
“We are calling for urgent intervention to save our members from further setbacks. Most of our members from Akwa Ibom and other nearby states of Abia, Ebonyi and Enugu are no more in petroleum product business owing to the colossal financial losses incurred as a result of the deplorable state of the road.
“It is common knowledge that so many tanker trucks with petroleum products from Calabar belonging to our members were lost to accidents on this road.
“Trucks coming to Calabar to transact with NNPCL and other private tank farms located in Calabar suffered the same fate of losing several millions of naira in these hard times.
“Petroleum business in Calabar depots, serving Cross River and Akwa Ibom states has nose-dived as most marketers outside Calabar no longer come to Calabar to patronize the tank farms for fear of losing their trucks and hard earned resources,” the group lamented.
In a similar development, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) said the challenge of transporting petroleum products through the Calabar-Itu highway has become an enormous responsibility for its members.
They conveyed this in a letter signed by the Chairman, PTD Port Harcourt Zone, Mr Joseph Okafor and Zonal Secretary, Dr Kalu Eke, NUPENG said the condition of the highway at the moment is considered a timebomb to its members carrying products to other parts of the country.
“For decades, the Calabar-Itu Highway has been a pain as it has affected economic activities between Cross River, Akwa Ibom, Ebonyi, and Enugu states.
“The deplorable road condition has led to loss of a good number of drivers and loss of substantial revenue to the union and even to the government.” NUPENG stated.
