Tanker Drivers Laud FG Over Road Projects, Fuel Supply

The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has applauded the Bola Ahmed Tinubu administration for its commitment to fixing federal highways nationwide.

The union also acknowledged the government’s drive towards stability in the supply of petroleum products.

In a communique at the weekend, at the end of the National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Port Harcourt, the Rivers State capital, the union’s national chairman, Comrade Augustine Egbon, and national secretary, Oluchi Chinagorom, commended the government for the recent approval of 13 road projects across the country by the Federal Executive Council (FEC).

Among the projects are the rehabilitation of Enugu-Port Harcourt, the Ore-Ondo-Akure Road, 300km Benin-Akure-Ilesha, repair of the Abortion, and Mubi- Maiduguri road section.

Egbon said fixing the roads would ensure the safety of its members and an uninterrupted supply of petroleum products from the depots to the retail outlets.

He said, “We recall that our agitations and several interventions to ensure that the last administration put the federal highways in good shape only fell on deaf ears.

“The effects of the bad shape of the highways were accidents, leading to the loss of lives of our members and their trucks, their only means of livelihood.

“We can’t help but express our satisfaction that the present administration is already taking positive steps to meet some of our grievances. We implore the Federal Ministry of Works to ensure that the contractors move to sites promptly and give Nigerians value for the public funds being spent by the federal government to put the roads in good shape,” he said.

The union, however, appealed to the federal government to consider rehabilitating the Calabar—Itu Federal Highway equally, noting that the road’s present deplorable condition is a major hindrance to the movement of petroleum tankers.

The NEC of the PTD-NUPENG equally commended the recent initiative to ensure stability in the supply of petroleum products.

“Lifting of products at the depots have increased substantially, and it is a big relief for our members,” Egbon said and appealed to the federal government to live up to its assurance to revive the nation’s four refineries to function optimally.

The union expressed concern over what it described as the highhandedness of a Task Force set up by the Office of the Inspector-General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, to prevent the movement of adulterated petroleum products.

“We wish to bring to the attention of the IGP that his men have been impounding petroleum tankers, almost indiscriminately, even when the drivers provide incontrovertible evidence of the genuine source of such products and loading depots.

“A good example is the recent incident on Funtua- Kaduna road. For almost two months now, the IGP Task Force has not released the tanker even when it has been discovered that the product being conveyed was not adulterated. We are appealing to the IGP office to ensure the tanker’s release,” the union said.