The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) have issued a stern warning, threatening to withdraw from the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) unless its President, Williams Akporeha, and General-Secretary, Afoloabi Olawale, step down from their positions.
Mr. Gbenga Olawale, an Ex-Officio of the PTD based at the Ibadan depot, conveyed this message through a statement on Sunday. He outlined that members of the PTD would initiate a nationwide protest to emphasize their demand for new leadership within NUPENG.
The statement instructs PTD members across the country to affix leaves to the fronts of their trucks as a symbolic gesture, signaling a warning against interference and alleged harassment of their leaders by NUPENG and the police.
Olawale asserted that Williams, the current NUPENG President, is not a bona fide member of NUPENG, questioning his eligibility to lead the union. He contended that Williams was strategically placed in the petrol station workers of NUPENG (PSW) to facilitate his candidacy for the NUPENG presidency, a move he claimed contradicts the NUPENG constitution.
Advocating for a fresh election, Olawale declared the PTD’s support for Lucky Osusan and Dayyabu Garga as the prospective new NUPENG President and General-Secretary, respectively. According to Olawale, this endorsement stems from Osusan and Garga’s notable efforts in safeguarding PTD members from various forms of extortion.
As tensions rise within the NUPENG umbrella, the outcome of these demands and the potential exit of the PTD could reshape the landscape of the petroleum and natural gas industry in Nigeria.
