The Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) are considering withdrawing from the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) unless President Williams Akporeha and General-Secretary Afoloabi Olawale resign. Gbenga Olawale, an Ex-Officio of the PTD from Ibadan depot, conveyed this stance in a Sunday statement, announcing the initiation of a nationwide protest to underscore their demand.
In the statement, PTD members are instructed to affix leaves to the fronts of their trucks as a symbolic gesture, signaling a warning against NUPENG and police interference and the alleged persistent harassment of their leaders.
Olawale contends that Williams, purportedly not a NUPENG member, lacks the qualifications to lead the union. He further claims that Williams was strategically placed in the petrol station workers of NUPENG (PSW) to facilitate his candidacy for the NUPENG presidency, deviating from the NUPENG constitution.
“Williams is not a worker or a pump attendant on record as at the time he was verifying for the president position,” the statement said.
Olawale further alleged that Williams planted his surrogates to collect all revenue of the union which were not used for the development of the union and tanker drivers.
He called for a fresh election as members of the PTD have decided to stand with Lucky Osusan and Dayyabu Garga to be the new NUPENG President and General-Secretary, respectively.
Olawale added that they decided to support Osusan and Garga because they have sacrificed so much to ensure that their members were free from all kinds of extortion.
