Petroleum tanker drivers to begin nationwide protest against NUPENG
The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) have threatened to exit its umbrella body, the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), if its president, Williams Akporeha and general-secretary, Afolabi Olawale, do not resign.
Mr Gbenga Olawale, an ex-Officio of the PTD from Ibadan depot, said in a statement on Sunday that their members would begin a nationwide protest to press home their demand.
The statement directed PTD members across the country to move with leaves in front of their trucks to serve as a warning to NUPENG and police against interference and incessant harassment of their leaders.
According to Olawale, Williams is not a member of NUPENG and as such lacks the competence to lead the union.
He alleged that Williams was drafted into petrol station workers of NUPENG (PSW) to enable him to contest election as NUPENG president which was a departure from the NUPENG constitution.
“Williams is not a worker or a pump attendant on record as at the time he was verifying for the president position,” the statement said.
Olawale further alleged that Williams planted his surrogates to collect all revenue of the union which was not used for the development of the union and tanker drivers.
He called for a fresh election as members of the PTD have decided to stand with Lucky Osusan and Dayyabu Garga to be the new NUPENG president and general secretary, respectively.
Rumour of protest handiwork of mischief-makers — NUPENG
Meanwhile, NUPENG, has dismissed insinuations of planned protest by members of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the union, urging the public not to panic.
In a statement by its general-secretary, Afolabi Olawale, NUPENG advised the public to discountenance such rumour as the handiwork of desperate individuals aimed at creating panic in the public and cause artificial scarcity.
According to the statement “The leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of the Union are hereby informing the general public that there is no plan whatsoever by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers to embark on any protest.
“There is no division in the Union as some desperate individuals and their sponsors want to project. The information is false and unfounded.
“This clarification is compelled in view of the attention of the leadership of both the NUPENG and PTD Branch of the Union that was drawn to this very misleading, mischievous and unfounded online news of the purported protest of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers across the country.
“The news item is false, unfounded and should be ignored. It is intended to create panic in the public and cause artificial scarcity.
“All the Petroleum Tanker Drivers are fully committed to the national services of effective and efficient distribution of petroleum products across the country.
“We earnestly call on the security agencies to urgently fish out the writer of this very misleading and panic-creating news items and make him face the full wrath of the law if he or she cannot prove the source and authority of the fake news item which is very capable of creating social upheaval and security concerns.”
Tanker drivers also refute claim
Similarly, the leadership of PTD has described the purported planned protest as the handiwork of mischief-makers who do not mean well for the country.
In a statement, the national chairman of PTD, Augustine Egbon, among other assertions, said: “The leadership of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers, PTD, Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers, NUPENG, wishes to alert the general public of the antics of some desperate and mischievous individuals.”
He said the mischief-makers wish “to cause tension and dangerous panic in the supply chain of petroleum products distribution in the country through spreading of fake and false news items.
“The Petroleum Tanker Drivers are not embarking on any form of protest and we are determined to continue our services to the nation and wholeheartedly support the efforts of the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to put our economy on the right track for the good of all of us.
“We wish to further reiterate the fact that there is no division in our Union and the branch of Petroleum Tanker Drivers. Our members are fully committed and United in our collective struggles as we believe that workers united can never be defeated.
“The general public are implored to ignore these mischief-makers and security agencies are hereby called upon to fully investigate this panic creating news items as the citizens are already going through enough tough times and situations.”
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