Petroleum Tanker Drivers Begin Nationwide Protest, Threaten To Exit NUPENG
The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), a branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG), have issued an ultimatum to the NUPENG President Williams Akporeha and General-Secretary, Afoloabi Olawale, to resign or face their exit from the union.
The PTD Ex-Officio from Ibadan depot, Mr Gbenga Olawale, made this known in a statement on Sunday, saying that their members would stage a nationwide protest to express their dissatisfaction with the NUPENG leadership.
The statement instructed PTD members across the country to display leaves in front of their trucks as a sign of warning to NUPENG and the police not to interfere with their agitation or harass their leaders.
Olawale accused Williams of being an impostor who was not a bona fide member of NUPENG and therefore lacked the legitimacy to lead the union.
He alleged that Williams was smuggled into the petrol station workers of NUPENG (PSW) to enable him to contest for the NUPENG presidency, which was a violation of 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 also alleged that Williams used his cronies to collect all the revenue of the union, which were not used for the welfare of the union and the tanker drivers.
He called for a fresh election, saying that the PTD members have resolved to support Lucky Osusan and Dayyabu Garga as the new NUPENG President and General-Secretary, respectively.
Olawale said that they chose to back Osusan and Garga because they have sacrificed a lot to ensure that their members were free from all forms of extortion.