The Independent Petroleum Marketers Association of Nigeria (IPMAN) has cautioned against the peddling of fake news. In a statement issued to newsmen on Friday, the chairman of IPMAN Northern Nigeria, Bashir Ahmad Danmalam, warned against the dissemination of false narratives that could ignite violence or pit people against the present or incoming administrations.

Danmalam cited a recent incident in which Sahara Reporters attacked the management of NNPC Limited as part of a larger grand design to attack the government from all angles and scuttle the inevitable handover of power to a duly elected administration on May 29.

IPMAN expressed disgust at the attempt by Sahara Reporters, on behalf of their co-conspirators, to drag NNPC Limited into their grand scheme of causing confusion and alarm in Nigeria’s thriving petroleum industry.

Since the passage of the Petroleum Industry Act in 2021, the management of NNPC Limited has worked tirelessly to implement the core objectives of the act, which include establishing a framework for the creation of a commercially oriented and profit-driven national petroleum company, promoting transparency, good governance and accountability in the administration of petroleum resources, fostering a business environment conducive for petroleum operations, and deepening local content practice in Nigeria’s oil and gas industry.

IPMAN praised NNPC for carrying them along every inch of the journey and strengthening the supply and distribution channels of the oil and gas industry. They noted that NNPC had ensured transparency in its reform journey and had consistently informed the whole country of any milestones.

Dangote promises higher returns, value to shareholders, stakeholders

However, IPMAN warned that disgruntled elements had moved from the political scene to the economic sphere to disrupt a peaceful transition of power in May. They accused these elements of spreading wicked and malicious lies and disinformation to bring the country to the brink of crisis.

IPMAN called on the Department of State Services (DSS) to note these campaigns of calumny as part of the grand plan of those with intent on a power grab, having lost in the polls. The group urged individuals and organizations to verify the accuracy of information before sharing or disseminating it and to uphold ethical standards and principles, such as accuracy, fairness, and impartiality.