Petroleum Tanker Drivers Begin Nationwide Protest Over NUPENG Leadership

The Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) is facing a potential split as the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) threaten to leave the union if its President, Williams Akporeha, and General Secretary, Afolabi Olawale, do not resign.

In a statement made available to newsmen over the weekend, an ex-official of the PTD from Ibadan depot, Gbenga Olawale, announced that members would begin a nationwide protest to demand the resignations of the NUPENG leaders.

Olawale alleged that the current President, Akporeha, was not a member of NUPENG and had been drafted into the union to contest the election, a development he said was against the union’s constitution.

He also accused Akporeha of planting surrogates to collect union revenue. The PTD has called for a fresh election and has pledged support for Lucky Osusan and Dayyabu Garga to be the new NUPENG President and General Secretary, respectively.

“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.

According to Olawale, the decision to back Osusan and Garga was made due to their immense sacrifices in ensuring their members were not subjected to extortion.