Tanker Drivers Reaffirm Loyalty to NUPENG Leadership
- Tanker drivers from Kaduna, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Warri zones have reaffirmed confidence in PTD-NUPENG leadership
- The drivers disowned a group called “Elders Forum" and dismissed claims that PTD leaders enriched themselves with union dues
- NUPENG leadership warned that the faceless forum consists of impostors seeking to destabilise the union and sow confusion among drivers
Petroleum tanker drivers from across Nigeria have reaffirmed their support for the leadership of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD), a branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG).
The drivers rejected claims by a self-styled “Elders Forum” that sought to discredit the union.
Source: UGC
PTD drivers reject impostors in leadership dispute
The drivers, drawn from Kaduna, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Warri zones, disowned the so-called forum during a press briefing in Lagos, describing its members as impostors attempting to destabilise the union.
Their reaction followed a recent statement by NUPENG President, Comrade Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Comrade Afolabi Olawale, who had alerted security agencies that the alleged Elders Forum was made up of infiltrators with no legal or constitutional recognition within PTD-NUPENG.
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Both leaders reaffirmed that Comrade Augustine Egbon remains the duly elected national chairman of PTD, having emerged at the branch delegates’ conference in Lagos on July 3, 2024.
Tanker union members reaffirm loyalty to NUPENG
Speaking on behalf of Kaduna drivers, Comrade Bashir Izalan dismissed the existence of any “elders” group in PTD’s structure.
“We do not have anything like PTD Elders in the hierarchy of PTD-NUPENG. The only acknowledged national chairman we know is Comrade Egbon,” he said.
Source: UGC
He added that Egbon’s leadership had given members access to health insurance, support in times of illness, and quick intervention whenever they encountered challenges on the road.
From Lagos, Comrade Itanola Abiodun described the alleged Elders Forum as fraudulent. He challenged them to disclose their units and zones, insisting that no genuine PTD member was aware of their identities.
“They cannot even state the units or zones they belong to. They do not speak for us. They are impostors, hired to cause chaos in our union,” he said.
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In the Port Harcourt Zone, Comrade Chukwudi Okafor rejected allegations that PTD leaders were enriching themselves from drivers’ check-off dues and depot loading fees.
According to him, such funds were channelled into health insurance schemes and urgent welfare needs of drivers, with costs often borne by truck owners under NARTO.
The drivers said their loyalty to the current leadership stemmed from consistent welfare support and transparency in the management of union affairs.
They called on security agencies to investigate those parading themselves as members of the “elders forum” and take necessary action to prevent further misinformation within the oil and gas sector.
Reps move to settle Dangote refinery-oil unions' dispute
Earlier, Legit.ng reported that the House of Representatives had stepped into the ongoing conflict between Dangote Petroleum Refinery and two major oil workers’ unions over unionisation and labour disputes.
The intervention was confirmed by the Chairman of the House Committee on Petroleum Resources (Downstream), Ikenga Imo Ugochinyere, at the close of a three-day retreat held in Lagos.
Source: Legit.ng
