There is a danger ahead in the country if the plethora of crisis in the national leadership of the Petroleun Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) are not promptly resolved.
It is most disheartening that the oil and gas Union (NUPENG), which ordinarily is meant to protect the interest of a section of Nigerian workers (Tanker Drivers), could brazenly disobey court orders and boast about it, incaserate its members, intimidate them, sack some of them and bound them to the Philistines.
From all indications there seems not to be peace in PTD since Comrade Lucky Osesua’s PTD leadership emerged at the during delegates conference in Abuja, which is the venue prescribed by the Union’s convention and practice, contrary to the parallel and illegal leadership that emerged from a Kangaroo election in Ibadan which was single-handedly orchestrated by NUPENG’s General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale after coercing some illegal group to upset the apple cart.
Unfortunately, the illegal leadership which produced Augustine Egbon has found it difficult to avail itself legitimacy by serially violating the sanctity of the Court of competent jurisdiction, Branch’s bye-law and other legal methods of conducting Delegates Conference.
The current pitiful posture of NUPENG is the one solely hijacked by its belligerent General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, who is engaging in forum shopping, blackmail, contempt of Court and use of sentiments to foist on Federal Government and other stakeholders in the oil and gas industry the purported legitimacy of the leadership of Augustine Egbon. It is an illusion that has brought the union into total disrepute and shame.
The union now totters and wobbles as it screeches towards a dangerous and avoidable canyon of dry bones, as its staff members and branch members can no longer recognise their union which has been battered by men and women from the dark womb of time.
Unfortunately it is not clear if there could be any glimmer of hope to reclaim it from its impending slide to anarchy and total collapse under the current leadership of Williams Akporeha (President), Afolabi Olawale and the Otunba Salimon Akanni Oladiti (National Trustee).
It is disgusting and embarrassing to see that the one-time Trade Union which was organized and brought to limelight by the late Chief (Comrade) Frank Ovie Kokori with the objective to protect the interest and foster better working conditions for the blue collar employees in the Nigeria’s oil and gas sector would come this low.
Moreover, the news of how NUPENG remanded the leaders of PTD in prison and also using money being generated by PTD Branch to pursue legal misadventures with the intention to humiliate, embarrass and oppress the national excos of PTD through use of both state and non state actors is what has set the union all time rock-bottom.
The stake in PTD, particularly access to administrative, operational and economic incentives and other opportunities should not be left in the hands of stooges who want to siphon the common patrimony of PTD under the whimps and caprice of overzealous leaders in NUPENG, that is why concerned members of PTD of good conscience are saying enough is enough.
Meanwhile, the popular cry in PTD now is that it must be allowed to breathe such that its members could peacefully and conveniently be proud and better for what they are doing as they continue to traverse the length and breadth of Nigeria through distribution and transportation of Petroleum products and supply of gas to Nigerians in their homes, offices and factories.
However, PTD members acoss the four zones in Nigeria despite being subjugated by the biased and overzealous leadership of NUPENG have consistently passed vote of confidence on Comrade Lucky Osesua as their National Chairman and Comrade Dayyabu Garga as Deputy Chairman alongside Comrade Humble Power Obinna as their National Secretary respectively, having shown that they have the capacity, and are fit and proper to lead and deliver them from tyranny and oppression.
Therefore, in the interest of industrial peace and harmony, it is urgently expected of the Presidency, Ministry of Labour and Employment, Department of State Services, Police, National Security Adviser, Ministry of Petroleum Resources, National Assembly (Senate & House of Representatives), Civil Society Organisations, NLC, MOMAN, NARTO, TUC, DAPMAN, Elders/Veterans of NUPENG and all other critical stakeholders to look into the current execrable situation in the PTD Branch of NUPENG and find it a lasting peace, before it spirals out of control and set the country’s economy into an avoidable implosion.
-Muhammad writes from Kaduna
