The Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch (PTD) and the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have refuted media reports that they have received threats to go on a national strike over alleged disputes over leadership in the union.
In a statement released on Monday, Augustine Egbon, the National Chairman of the PTD Branch of NUPENG, responded to the allegations by blaming it on individuals determined to incite fear throughout the nation’s petroleum product distribution network.
He saw that there was no reason for protest in any way and that there was no dissension within its rank.
Egbon said, “The leadership of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) wishes to warn the public about the mischievous and desperate actions of a few people who are spreading fake and false news items in an attempt to create unwarranted and dangerous panic in the country’s petroleum product distribution supply chain.
“The Petroleum Tanker Drivers are not going to engage in any kind of protest; instead, we are committed to carrying on providing our services to the country and fully backing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration in its efforts to turn around our economy for the benefit of all of us.”
We would want to stress once more that there is unity within our union and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch. Because we firmly believe that workers united can never be defeated, our members are totally devoted to and united in our collective battles.
Because people are already going through enough difficult times, Egbon urged the public to disregard the troublemakers and urged the security services to thoroughly analyze the alarming news items.
In a same vein, NUPENG General Secretary Olawale Afolabi stated in a statement released on Monday that there was absolutely no intention to stage a demonstration in response to the media claims.
He insisted that, contrary to what certain desperate people and their backers would have us believe, there was no schism inside the Union.
The NUPENG General Secretary stated that the news release’s authors intended to incite fear in the public and artificially create a shortage of petroleum products.
The Union also instructed security services to track down the individuals responsible for the news item, pointing out that it had the potential to cause civil unrest and raise security issues.
According to Afolabi, “The Petroleum Tanker Drivers have no intention of staging a demonstration since the Union is not divided as certain desperate people and their backers would have us believe. The news report is untrue and unsupported.
This press release is necessary to prevent any panic by pointing out that the fake news item is false, unfounded, and should be ignored. The leadership of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch of the Union have been alerted to this very misleading, mischievous, and unfounded online news of the purported protest of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers across the Country.
“These desperate people are trying to instill artificial scarcity and panic in the public.”
Afolabi went on to say that every single one of the nation’s petroleum tanker drivers is totally dedicated to the efficient and successful delivery of petroleum products throughout the nation.
