Tanker Drivers Protest Detention Of 40 Members

Over 40 tanker drivers are languishing in prison across the 36 states of the federation for offences ranging from accidents to incomplete weigh bills, the Petroleum Tankers Drivers Association (PTD), has said.

The spokespersons of PTD in Cross River State, Comrade Ibrahim Osa and his counterpart at the national level, Abdullahi Adamu stated this in Calabar during a protest.

Addressing journalists during the protest led by the association members at Esukutang Farm, Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited (NNPCL), Depot in Calabar, the PTD spokespersons rejected the imposition of executives on the union.

They said, “Over 40 of our members are suffering in prison custody without nobody coming to their rescue or making attempts to intervene in their cases

“The National Union of Petroleum and Gas Workers of Nigeria (NUPENG), cannot select any chairman for us. Our drivers die on a daily basis or are thrown to prison without anybody coming to their rescue.

“Afolabi and Oladiti are our problems. NUPENG is cheating us. We used to conduct elections, now election period has come, Afolabi and co want to impose non-drivers on us as our leaders.

“As drivers we have driven for years without anything to show. NUPENG should allow us to conduct our elections.”

While accusing NUPENG of imposing farmers and carpenters on them even when they have no business with tanker driving, the association urged Olatidi and Kilanko not to interfere with election of tanker drivers.

Reacting to the protest, a representative of NUPENG, Mr. Peter Joshua, said his group was not aware of any demonstration by the tanker drivers in Calabar.