ALLEGED LEADERSHIP CRISIS: No plan to go on strike, PTD, NUPENG clarify

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) and its affiliate, the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch ( PTD) have debunked reports that the union is set to embark on a nationwide protest over purported leadership tussles in the Union.

Reports had emerged over the weekend that the affiliate union had threatened to break away from the umbrella union over the refusal of Williams Akporeha, NUPENG’s current President; and Afolabi Olawale, General-Secretary to resign as they demanded.

However, reacting to the report, the National Chairman of the PTD Branch of NUPENG, Augustine Egbon, in a statement issued Monday, attributed the news item to those bent on creating panic in the supply chain of Petroleum Products distribution in the country.

He noted that there was no division within its rank and there was no need for any form of protest.

Egbon noted, ”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 to cause unfounded 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.”

Egbon called on the general public to ignore the mischief makers while urging the security agencies to fully investigate the panic-creating news items as citizens are already going through enough tough times.

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Similarly, the General Secretary of NUPENG, Olawale Afolabi, while reacting to the media reports in a statement issued Monday, declared that there was no plan whatsoever to embark on any protest.

He maintained that there was no division in the Union as some desperate individuals and their sponsors wanted to project.

The NUPENG General Secretary noted that the motive of those behind the press statement was to create panic in the public space and cause artificial scarcity of petroleum products.

The Union further tasked security agencies to fish out those behind the news item which it noted was very capable of creating social upheaval and security concerns.

Afolabi said: “There is no plan whatsoever by the Petroleum Tanker Drivers to embark on any protest as there is no division in the Union as some desperate individuals and their sponsors want to project. The news item is false and unfounded.”

“This press release is compelled in view of the attention of the Leadership of both the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers and the Petroleum Tanker Drivers 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 and we are deeply compelled to quickly release this Press Statement to avert any form of panic, that the fake news item is false, unfounded and should be ignored.

“It is intended to create panic in the public and cause artificial scarcity by these desperate individuals.”

Afolabi added that all the Petroleum Tanker Drivers were fully committed to the national services of effective and efficient distribution of Petroleum Products across the country.

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