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By Prosper Olayiwola

The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) has derided the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) over its escalating leadership crisis, and for its lack of coordination and wisdom to peacefully mitigate the cold war between the union and the management of Dangote refinery.

The tanker drivers also called for the immediate arrest of the leaders of NUPENG by law enforcement agents especially the Inspector General of Police and the Director-General of DSS so as to allow peace in the country and make Nigerians embark on their daily and legitimate businesses without any fear or molestation.

They also urged petroleum tanker drivers across the four zones of the country to ignore the nationwide strike notice issued by NUPENG which was scheduled to take effect on Monday, September 8, 2025. The PTD leaders stressed that such insensitive move by NUPENG will cripple the economic activities in the country, impoverish the masses and further cause them more pain, contrary to the sentiments whipped up by the union.

PTD also chided the parent body of unduly meddling in the progress and success of the country’s economic powerhouse, just as it described the leaders as economic saboteurs who have no interest of the country at heart but to continue in the old order of manipulating the system through illegal levies at depots, tank farms, and refineries that are never accounted for under the current leadership.

The tanker drivers also expressed worry over NUPENG’s inability to maintain a cohesive leadership structure, emphasizing that while the Union struggles with factional disputes, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and his business partner, Alhaji Sayyu Idris Dantata of MRS remained focused on revitalising the country’s petroleum industry downstream sector and delivering on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

In their well detailed observations, PTD also mocked the double standards posture of NUPENG leaders, claiming that the Union was known for waging a vicious war against the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP) and preventing them to run side by side with them (NUPENG) in the petroleum industry ecosystem, saying the union lacks the moral rectitude to accuse Dangote and Dantata of championing monopoly in the petroleum industry.

PTD equally maintained that union membership anywhere in the world is voluntary and that the crisis arising from the plan by the Dangote refinery to import 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks for the direct distribution of fuel to retailers is in good shape and in best interest of the masses.

The tanker drivers however advised the Federal government, the NSA, National Assembly, DSS, Inspector General of Police, NSCDC, and other industry stakeholders not to treat the matter with kid gloves so that NUPENG will not undermine the relative peace and progress the Oil and Gas sector is currently enjoying.

A statement by PTD stakeholders jointly signed by comrades (Alhaji) Tajudeen Abubakar (Kaduna Zone), Chief (Mrs.) Blessing Dafinone (Warri Zone), Comrade Joseph Dagogo-Jack (JP) (Port Harcourt Zone) and Comrade Kolade Fadahunsi-Ojelabi (Lagos Zone), reads in parts:

“This is a clarion call to all Petroleum Tanker Drivers across Nigeria to please ignore the strike notice issued by NUPENG leadership. The purported notice suggested that the industrial action will take effect on Monday, September 8, 2025, this is obviously insensitive, callous, and unacceptable. How could NUPENG condescend so low like this that they didn’t even dim it necessary to explore any option of negotiation or stakeholders dialogue before arriving at this? This is not only laughable but wicked. A Union is expected to be socially responsible and not pursue selfish gains capable of ruining the socio-economic accomplishments of the country.

“It is no news that the leadership of NUPENG lacks operational and administrative understanding of how the industry works, but we would be glad to educate them that union membership anywhere in the world is voluntary and that the crisis arising from the plan by the Dangote refinery to import 4,000 compressed natural gas-powered trucks for the direct distribution of fuel to retailers is in good shape and in best interest of the masses. Negotiations and symbiotic relationship cannot be reached through violence, threats or arrogance, Nigeria is governed under constitutional democracy, these union leaders should note that very carefully.

“This is the same NUPENG that has created protracted internal crisis within its rank that is calling Alhaji Aliko Dangote and Alhaji Sayyu Idris Dantata names, infact these businessmen should sue them for libel and defamation. This also show lack of decorum, and rascally behaviour of today’s leaders in NUPENG, they don’t think or make legal consultations before acting on highlighted highly sensitive matters and situations.

“It is also illogical and unreasonable for NUPENG to accuse Dangote and Dantata of promoting monopoly in the industry while they, in their double standards have been at loggerheads with the Association of Distributors and Transporters of Petroleum Products (ADITOP) and preventing them from running their affairs side by side with them in the petroleum industry ecosystem. This is crass irresponsibility from a union that lacks integrity.

“Can any sane human being call NUPENG President Williams Akporeha, General Secretary Afolabi Olawale, and the National Trustee Otunba Salimon Akanni Oladiti Saints? Under their watch the once respected union is now a shadow of its former self. These individuals further put themselves into an imperceptible ridicule and shame by saying Dangote is involved in anti-union activities. They should have gone ahead to issue suspensions to Dangote Refinery and MRS as they did to Comrade Lucky Osesua and his supporters, and most recently to Comrade Alex Agwanwor and others too.

“These set of NUPENG leaders have used the instruments of their offices to unlawfully bully, intimidate, victimize and harass both members and staff of the union in all the four zones in Nigeria to an extremely high and embarrassing level, to the extent that in the eyes of the public, NUPENG is now being subjected to shame, total disgrace, and has become a laughing stock to the rest of the world especially the Ministry of Labour and Employment, Industrial Courts, ILO, IndustriALL and so on.

“Afolabi and Akporeha’s consistent mistreatment of staff and members across the zones have regrettably led to significant psychological distress for the targeted individuals. It’s a heartbreaking reality, but many people feel conquered, helpless, and powerless when confronted with these abnormalities in the union. What a shame! while NUPENG struggles with factional disputes at different branches and at the centre, Alhaji Aliko Dangote and his business partner, Alhaji Sayyu Idris Dantata of MRS are firmly focused and revitalising the country’s petroleum industry downstream sector and delivering on President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.

“We understand that NUPENG unionised petrol station workers known with the acronym, PSW, meanwhile the tank farm owners pay them heavily at the point of ship discharging products; what is the value added to members from these monies collected especially from the PTD Branch? None! They sit in offices, collect dues and levies in billions, without looking after drivers on wheels. Many of the tanker drivers receive less than 50k in a month as salaries, and in some worse situations, they are still being owed their monthly salaries. When it is time to go for local and international training and seminars, it is the National executives who are in the comfort of their air-conditioned offices that will attend, they consistently deny the main drivers the opportunity to gain knowledge and skills necessary to safely operate the tankers within the framework of minimum safety standards.

“PTD under the current leadership of NUPENG, has failed serially to support the clamping down on criminal elements who had developed a penchant for illegal oil bunkering and other unlawful activities that promote economic sabotage in the country. Similarly, they lack the capacity and wisdom to put necessary measures in place to curb products shortage and stealing, which have ruined businesses of many Petroleum marketers. Tanker drivers have suffered incessant harassment and bullying of its members from several state and non-state actors, NUPENG cannot find any solution to these and many other burning issues. They have also failed to foster industrial peace and harmony. All these make us laugh when we now see Afolabi and Williams calling hard working and law-abiding Nigerians like Dangote and Dantata unprintable names. We sincerely advice Dangote and Dantata to sue NUPENG for libel or defamation.

“It is really heartbreaking to see that NUPENG has recorded the highest number of lawsuits, with an average of 50 cases, many of which were filed by former staff, expelled, or suspended members of the union. Infact the judiciary is even tired of their approach to many of the cases and worst still the union has been reprimanded several times and slammed with contempt charges, fines and retribution.

“NUPENG in their statement claimed they will mobilize forces, which forces are they going to mobilize?

Their stooges and surrogates? The forces they could have mobilized are the ones they unlawfully pushed aside and thought they could do without. In reality the likes of Comrades Lucky Etuokwu, Lucky Osesua, Dayyabu Garga; Peter Muodobelu, Humble Obinna Power; Akinolu Olabisi; Godwin Nwaka; Tiamiu Sikiru Ojo; Abdulmumuni Shaibu, Sylvanus Idanwekhai, Sunday Ezeocha, Osamuyi Osahon, and others remain the best hands that can shape the future of PTD & NUPENG and sustain industrial harmony amongst industry stakeholders for the greater good of Nigeria, socio-economically.

“Honestly Dangote and Sayyu should be commended by Nigerians for providing jobs and breaking the long existing monopoly in the Nigeria’s petroleum industry value chain and for the courage of giving drivers on wheels their place of pride and bringing dignity to the industry.

“We therefore use this rare opportunity to humbly advise the Federal government, NSA, National Assembly, DSS, Inspector General of Police, NSCDC, and other industry stakeholders to call for the immediate arrest of leaders of NUPENG especially the President and the General in order to prevent them from setting the country on fire at a time Nigeria is experiencing relative peace in the oil and gas sector. Enough of NUPENG highhandedness, no union is bigger than the extant laws and constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria. NUPENG has failed its members and should never be allowed to destroy Nigeria and its economic activities”, the statement concluded.