Concerned tanker drivers from various parts of the country have raised the alarm over public statements attributed to a faceless group operating under the platform of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) Elders Forum.
They accused the group, which they claimed was not recognised by the PTD bylaws or the NUPENG Constitution, of disseminating falsehoods to the public.
Recall that Comrades Williams Akporeha and Afolabi Olawale, President and General Secretary of NUPENG, respectively, issued a statement on Sunday alerting the public and security agencies that the so-called PTD Elders Forum consisted of infiltrators with a sinister motive to sow discontent within the ranks of the genuine leadership of the Tanker Drivers Branch of NUPENG.
The NUPENG leaders also stated that Comrade Augustine Egbon is the National Chairman of PTD-NUPENG, duly elected by members at its Branch Delegates Conference held in Lagos on July 3, 2024.
Addressing journalists at a press briefing in Lagos, tanker drivers from the Kaduna, Lagos, Port Harcourt, and Warri Zones disowned the PTD Elders, asserting that they were fraudulent individuals masquerading as tanker drivers.
One of the tanker drivers from the Kaduna Zone, Comrade Bashir Izalan, expressed his surprise that a faceless group was claiming membership of PTD-NUPENG.
He said, “We do not have anything like PTD Elders in the hierarchy of PTD-NUPENG. We do not recognise them. The only acknowledged national chairman we know is Comrade Egbon.
“His leadership is transparent; he gives us a sense of belonging because we can go anywhere in the country and feel at home. If we fall ill, we have insurance and hospitals where we can receive treatment.
“If we encounter any issues, whether with our companies or vehicles, the union is always ready and willing to assist, as drivers can approach any nearby unit at any time and explain their situation, and the union will act to help them. Even if you are in Lagos and travel to Kano or Kauran Namoda, there is someone available to address your problems there.
“The union is consistently available and prepared to aid us and resolve our issues, even before the truck owners are aware of them.”
Speaking on behalf of tanker drivers in the Lagos Zone, Comrade Itanola Abiodun told reporters that the impostors do not belong to the Union and urged security agencies to apprehend them for prosecution.
According to him, “Everyone who belongs to a union has a unit and a zone where that unit is located, and they have a PTD branch. The units from which they claim to originate do not exist. We in those zones do not know them.
“Their names are not known to us at all. They should specify the units to which they belong so that discerning minds can verify their authenticity.
“They cannot even state the units or zones they belong to. They do not speak for us. They are impostors, hired to cause chaos in our union.
“We all have a sense of belonging in PTD. We wish to be part of PTD-NUPENG because the leadership of our umbrella body, which is NUPENG, provides us with a sense of belonging and is always there for us when we face challenges with our employers.”
Additionally, Comrade Chukwudi Okafor from the Port Harcourt Zone dismissed the claim that the leadership of PTD-NUPENG profits excessively from check-off dues and loading fees paid by tanker drivers. He described the allegation as unfounded and uncharitable, stating that the funds generated from check-off dues and payments for loading at depots were directed towards addressing the needs of the average tanker driver in the form of health insurance and urgent welfare needs. These are financed by truck owners (NARTO), who are the owners of the vehicles.
