News
Mass Protest Looming over fake election, tanker drivers raise alarm
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
A prominent member of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers Union, PTD, Comrade Olaitan Idris, during the week, raised an alarm over looming crisis by its members over the continued parading of some disgruntled elements of the union as their elected executive officers in total breach of recent court order that a genuine election should be conducted and credible officers elected to fill vacant positions in the union.
Comrade Olaitan said that those people claiming to be elected officers sat in a private meeting and arrogated themselves positions in the union in disobedience of a subsisting court order and took laws into their hands believing that they will use money to buy their ways into the leadership of the union stating that their action must be urgently stopped in order to avert serious riot amongst members of the union.
Tracing the genesis of the division in the union, Comrade Olaitan said that trouble started after a former National Chairman of the union, Otunba Salmon Akanni Oladiti (now NUPENG Trustee) completed his tenure but refused to give way to his deputy, Lucky Osesua.
“He insisted on signing the union cheques and control activities at the Lagos zone where he was a former chairman. “In fact, he skillfully orchestrated willful plans to remain relevant and found allies in engaging top officials of NUPENG especially the General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale with a view to getting their support.
“The first thing they did was to change our bye laws without a memorandum to suit his ill conceived ambitious goal to be the forthcoming NUPENG President.
They continued their personal agenda in total breach of our bye laws and they disorganized the entire PTD. NUPENG is a mother body of over 150 branches. Why should they pitch their tent in PTD if they don’t have a wicked and vicious motive?
“There was supposed to be election in 2022 after the end of the tenure of PTD leadership in Lagos state and the next Warri Zone but instead of conducting a peaceful transition to take over because Lagos tenure has terminated, the next tenure is Warri Zone which Otunba has no say as a member like others, they connived with a member from Warri and challenged the eligibility of Osesua.
They went to court and the eligibility of Lucky Osezua was confirmed. Unfortunately, this did not go well with the opposers and they connived with NUPENG and took over the affairs of PTD.
“ I am calling on all relevant government agencies including law enforcement agencies, particularly DSS, Police, NSCDC, EFCC etc, to step into the matter because these people are holding our teeming members to ransom. There should be proper election according to the order of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria and that all the suspended officers should return to their various duties.
The law of labor does not permit all these nonsense and lawless election and malpractices they are doing is politicizing the union unnecessarily. They think they can pocket the judiciary.
“Peace will be restored if the right penalty could be awarded to those who messed up the court order. The court cannot rule the union but the court can correct every lawless act in the Union. I foresee riot, massive protest and violence, let us reason together in the interest of our nation.
“The situation in Nigeria now is terrible and all the arms of the government are trying their possible best to fix things but in PTD, a group of vicious cabals are sabotaging the life and income of people. A hungry man is an angry man. If tanker drivers should be allowed to troop into the streets in protest, the economy will suffer.
“We are, therefore, crying out for justice because I know that the cabal has denied means of livelihood to a lot of our members and they have not been able to feed their families for upwards of two years now.
“They have lost their properties, living from hand to mouth and many of them are now bankrupt. What they are doing now is to mislead members of the public and relevant authorities to believe that there was an election. It is criminal and must be treated as such.”
News
Impeachment Plot: Akpabio Cautions Nigerians To Disregard Media Report
By Gloria Ikibah
The President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, has admonished Nigerians to disregard stories of his planned impeachment, even as he described it as an illusion.
Naijablitznews.com recalled that an online publication, (Name withheld on Wednesday, published a story titled “DSS Takes Over National Assembly Amid Impeachment Speculations Against Senate President Akpabio”, which has since been republished by other media outlets.
The Special Adviser on Media and Publicity to the President of Senate, Hon. Eseme Eyiboh in a statement on Wednesday said the report was a figment of the reporters imagination.
He said: “Distinguished Senator Godswill Akpabio, President of the Senate of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, wishes to state without equivocation that the speculation and misinformation circulating about an alleged impeachment plot against him is the handiwork of fifth columnists who are perpetual merchants of misinformation and purveyors of mischief.
“As a Head of one of the Arms of government, the President of the Senate categorically denies these baseless claims and reaffirms his commitment to transformational leadership of the Senate particularly and effectively collaborates with the other arms of government. There is no crack in the Upper Chamber and no Senator or Caucus is plotting any impeachment against the President of the Senate. Every Senator is focused on raising the bar of Legislative Agenda and Nation building.
“The allegations are nothing but a desperate attempt to create division and discord among the esteemed senators. It’s unfortunate that some individuals would resort to spreading falsehoods to promote the invidious reins of their blackmail enterprise.
“Senator Godswill Akpabio remains focused on the implementation of the 10th Senate’s Legislative Agenda and working tirelessly to address the pressing National issues of growth and prosperity.
“The Senate President will not be distracted by these unfounded rumours and wants to assure the public that his commitment to Nigeria’s progress remains unwavering.
“We therefore urge the public to disregard these baseless claims and instead focus on the meaningful work being done by the Senate to improve the lives of all Nigerians”.
News
BREAKING! FG delegation in meeting with NLC, TUC
By Kayode Sanni-Arewa
The Federal government delegation is currently meeting with the leaders of organised labour at the Presidential Villa in Abuja.
The meeting is centred on the state of the nation, especially the petrol pricing system.
The meeting is taking place at the Secretary to the Office of the Government of the Federation, SGF, George Akume.
At the meeting are Mallam Nuhu Ribadu, the National Security Adviser, NSA; Nkeiruka Onyejeocha, the Labour Minister; and Wale Edun, Minister of Finance and Coordinating Minister of the Economy.
Others are the Information Minister, Petroleum Minister, State Minister of Gas, and representatives of the Nigerian National Petroleum Corporation, NNPC, Limited.
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