The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) has accused the leadership of its parent body, NUPENG of attempting to lie under oath and mislead the court through use of a witness who presented himself as someone that was purportedly assaulted in Calabar, Cross Rivers State during a peaceful National Branch Executive Council (BEC) meeting held by Comrade Lucky Osesua’s led group on 27th and 28th of September, 2024.

The oil and gas Union described the attempt by the witness who in a dramatic twist covered himself with a bandage on the instruction of those who tutored him, as headless and an infantile plot that was reckless, and one that stood logic on its head. PTD added that NUPENG and their paid witness should know that “perjury qualifies as a serious crime against justice”. It is on record that several attempts through the prosecutors to revoke the bail graciously granted to Comrade Lucky Osesua and 19 others by his lordship, Hon. Justice Yusuf Halilu woefully failed.

The “strange” witness according to PTD mysteriously appeared on Thursday, October 10, 2024 in Abuja Federal High Court during the continuation of trial of 20 PTD executives who are charged with attempted murder. But the witness who was apparently fidgeting, incoherent and lacking composure was shocked and further confused in front of those who paid him for the hatchet job, when they all saw that the trial Judge, Justice Yusuf Halilu was absent to continue the trial due to health challenges.

While reacting to the ugly development in a chat with some journalists on Tuesday, October 15, 2024 in Port Harcourt, Rivers State at a popular hotel around Trans-Amadi Industrial Layout Road, an elder of the Union, Comrade Joseph Dagogo-Jack (JP) said every plot to circumvent justice against the interest of Comrade Lucky Osesua, Comrade Garga Dayyabu, Comrade (Chief) Peter Moudebelu (Onwa), Comrade Dr Humble Obinna Power and other national executives would never stand.

“It is really appalling to see the leadership of NUPENG coming up with a cheap lie, in an attempt to subvert justice by lying under oath and trying to mislead the Honorable court by employing and paying a strange witness who mysteriously appeared in an open court with body covered with bandage for purportedly being assaulted in Calabar where we held our peaceful National Branch Executive Council meeting, a totally rancor-free assembly which ran smoothly for two days, between September 27th to 28th, 2024.

“It is a big shame that the witness will be acting on the instruction of his paid masters who tutored him to commit perjury. This infamous and distasteful plot is headless, infantile, reckless, and one that stands logic on its head. The records are very clear that there was no incident of anyone being intentionally or recklessly inflicted with any bodily harm, not even altercation or heated arguments whatsoever, ensued between anyone throughout our BEC meeting in Calabar. NUPENG and its paid witness should know that perjury qualifies as a serious crime against justice and the consequences are very grievous under our criminal law. Statements given under oath are expected to carry truthfulness.

“It is on record that we even wrote officially through our National Secretary, Comrade (Dr) Humble Obinna Power, notifying and inviting all security agencies consisting of the Commissioner of Police, Cross River State Police Command, the AIG NPF Zone 6 headquarters Calabar, the Director DSS, and the Commandant of Nigerian Security and Civil Defence Corp (NSCDC) Cross River State Command to provide us with security personnel at the venue, Monty Suites Hotel, behind NPF Zone 6 Headquarters, Murtala Mohammed Highway, Calabar, so that they can be witnesses to our harmless discussions and ensure that there was no breakdown of law and order.

“We also communicated to them that the gathering simply sought to inform members on the current position of the leadership crisis rocking our Branch, the steps taken so far, and to calm down the tensions and anxiety hanging in the air concerning the ongoing struggle. We further admonished the law enforcement agents that the meeting was essentially to encourage our members to be peaceful and law-abiding in all their conducts, conversations, and actions. The National Secretary also signed undertakings at the office of the AIG Zone 6 Calabar and the Commissioner of Police Cross River State Command that if anything goes wrong between 8am and 11am on the meeting day that he should be held accountable; to the glory of God, nothing went wrong up till this time.

“In addition, we told our members at the meeting about the position of the litigations and legal processes filed at the court challenging the procedures and suspensions of members and assuring them that we will do everything possible within the ambit of the law to attain our goals and defend our legitimate rights, while also ensuring that our parent union, NUPENG, does the right thing and justice is served,” Dagogo-Jack stated.