Nigeria’s Oil workers under the auspices of National Union Petroleum and Natural Gas (NUPENG), on Friday raised the alarm over the life of some tanker drivers who are hiding in the bushes of highway along Benin-Auchi- lokoja roads due to attacks by bandits and hoodlums..
The drivers, seven in numbers are said to be transporting fuel from A.Y Shafa and some other depots from south-south to the Northern part of the country when they were attacked.
‘Leadership of the union had however, reached out to law enforcement agents for rescue and protection. But more worrisome and biggest obstacle to the usual effective and patriotic services is the depressing and frustrating antics of some unscrupulous marketers who are busy using this seemingly initial break in logistics from offshore vessels to exploit and extort the hapless public through racketeering and hoarding of the product’, the union said in a statement signed by the national President, William Akporeha and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale.
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‘The leadership of our great Union for the third time in the last twelve months is being deeply constrained to raise concerns and worries over the pains Nigerians are going through to get Petroleum Motor Spirit (PMS) for their daily businesses, movements and well-being. We find this situation very appalling and shameful. We wish to let the general public know that the rank and file members of our Union deeply empathize with them and share in their pains. To demonstrate our commitment to service, all our members in the supply chains of the Petroleum Products distribution from the depots workers, Petroleum Tanker Drivers and Petrol Stations Workers have since been placed on red alert to serve and they have been readily available and dutifully carrying out this onerous and patriotic task even at the risk of their lives due to the prevailing security challenges we are facing at this time.
‘We wish to condemn this brutal exploitation of the masses by these Shylock Marketers in the strongest terms and we have resolved to commence sanctioning any Marketer we find to be indulging in this unwholesome and disgusting practices. Any Marketer selling above the approved ex-depot prices will have our Union to contend with henceforth while urging all our members in the distribution chain to remain steadfast and dedicated to serving our fatherland’
‘We are aware there are some decent and patriotic Marketers who are willing and ready to do business in ways and manners that will not exploit and inflict pains on the public. We are therefore calling on these sets of Marketers not to be discouraged or relent but to keep cooperating with the Union and other patriotic Stakeholders to help stem this ugly trend.
We urge the government to also be sincere and make the product available in such quantities, ways and manners that will not give room for these unscrupulous elements to be holding our nation to ransom. The few wicked ones cannot and should not be allowed to overwhelm us’, the union stated
