National Chairman, Comrade Lucky Osesua, his deputy, Comrade Dayyabu Garga, and the National Secretary, Comrade Humble Obinna Power, as well as others within the fold of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) have criticised the parent body for compelling every unit in the branch to pay N400,000 before participating in educational seminar which held in Ibadan between 17th and 18th of July, 2024.

Osesua, Garga and Obinna while repudiating NUPENG leaders for exhibiting extortionist tendencies by introducing needless educational seminar at a time when the citizens are faced with an austere economy also urged stakeholders in the oil and gas sector including the Federal government of Nigeria to recognize them as the duly-elected executives of PTD.

The trio made these remarks in a jointly signed statement on Thursday, July 18, 2024.

The Tanker Drivers argued that the executives, which emerged at the National Delegates Conference in Abuja on Thursday, July 4, 2024, which is the venue recognized for the Branch’s convention, remained the authentic body.

PTD said the “illegal leadership” that emerged from a Kangaroo election in Lagos was desperate to force stakeholders into accepting it.

The PTD executives further stated that the leadership which the Lagos election purportedly produced on Wednesday, July 3, 2024 could not avail itself legitimacy by serially violating the sanctity of the National Industrial Court of Nigeria [NICN], Bayelsa and Abuja Divisions and other legal methods of conducting national delegates conference.

The oil and gas union again noted that the Lagos election should be nullified, having flagrantly violated the guidelines laid down by the NICN on Wednesday, May 29, 2024, stressing that the leadership legitimacy should be handed to them (Osesua led faction), which followed due process and electoral guidelines in the interest of the impoverished members of the PTD that cut across the four zones in the country.

The statement reads in part: “The vicious circle of extortion which has caused PTD members to be paupers and beggars despite their commitment to hardwork and national socio-economic growth must stop forthwith. Telling every Unit in the PTD Branch to pay N400,000 for a needless educational seminar is not only an act of extortion but a deliberate attempt to enslave our members more and make life miserable for them. Apart from what Gbolahan Adigun did in Lagos Zone at Ibadan to overstretch, manipulate and milk our members financially, Comrade Joseph Okafor is also calling for a zonal meeting at the Zonal Secretariat of the PTD Branch in Enugu on 25th and 26th of July, the same month of the purported Kangaroo Lagos election which is a move to bring additional financial burdens on our members. We therefore kick against this obnoxious move in its entirety and call for restraint.

“Also, for the price we owe posterity, we truly believe in the rule of law in entrenching our legitimacy as duly elected national executives of PTD, therefore we won’t engage in any conduct that is unacceptable before the law. We also strongly rely on the strength of the unbiased position of the Court of competent jurisdiction on this matter, and have no doubt absolutely that justice will never elude us.

“Contrary to the orders laid down by NICN Abuja, our members were intimidated, violated, harassed, disenfranchised and compelled to make choices against their wishes through adoption of option A-4. The process was also discriminatory, not all-inclusive, factions were not reconciled, queries, suspension letters etc were not revoked; the electoral and caretaker committees were not properly constituted as ordered by NICN Abuja. It is obvious that the outcome of Lagos Delegates Conference did not reflect the wishes and support of the majority and this outrightly gave legitimacy to the Abuja Delegates Conference where Lucky Osesua and his team emerged.

“We equally use this medium to appeal to the Federal Government and other industry stakeholders in the Upstream, Mid-stream and downstream of petroleum sector to relate with us as the only legitimate, duly elected and constitutionally recognised executives of the PTD branch of NUPENG. Its a big shame that the national secretariat of NUPENG including the General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale now find it difficult to hold a branch election that can be said to be free, fair, transparent and credible.

“We as well found it instructive to state very clearly that what transpired in Lagos was a mere selection which is contrary to PTD bye-law and thankfully the judiciary is there for us to correct this wrong and set the record straight so that the union will not be placed on the verge of precipice, hence there is need for urgent paradigm shift to accentuate and engender industrial peace and harmony.

“For the umpteenth time, PTD must be allowed to breathe such that its members could peacefully and conveniently be proud and better for what they are doing. The slave-master relationship needs to be obliterated in the nick of time. PTD is in dire need of employee-centric leadership that prioritizes the well-being and support of their members, both personally and professionally; leadership that demonstrates empathy, offer resources for work-life balance, and provide support during challenging times, fostering a culture of care, welfarist, resilience, and mutual respect.

“Frankly, Tanker Drivers traversing 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 need to be exposed to better working conditions under a legitimate, compassionate, detribalized, and effective leadership.”