Tanker Drivers Allege Plot To Disrupt Flow Of Petroleum Products

MEMBERS of the Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) branch of the National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Worker (NUPENG) yesterday alleged plot by some interest groups to disrupt the free flow of petroleum products, especially the Premium Motor Spirit (petrol) which has been available in recent time.

They also decried the deplorable state of some major highways in some parts of the country ,which they said was hampering their operations leading to loss of man hours and huge income.

The association’s national president, Salimon Akanni Oladiti, who addressed a press conference yesterday in Benin City, absolved its members of allegations of diversion of products and loading of same from vandalised pipelines.

He specifically called on the Federal Government for timely intervention in the rehabilitation of Ilorin-Oloru-Jebba and the Calabar-Odukpani roads which he termed a ‘national disgrace.’

“A distance of 100 kilometres on the Illorin-Oloru-Jebba Road is covered for 72 hours. It will take you three days before you complete a journey of 100 kilometres. Tankers fall all the time on that axis and we lose millions of naira.”

Oladiti, who spoke at the briefing to mark the end of the two-day branch executive meeting of the body held in Benin, added that: “We are aware of the intention of a faceless group to misinform our members and the general public of an impending illegal strike by petroleum tanker drivers and to create security challenges in some strategic petroleum loading and storage points across the country. We wish to put all security agencies on alert of these undesirable elements.”

On diversion of products and loading from vandalised points, Oladiti said: “Our duty is to carry products for you as a marketer and it is where you say I should carry the products to that I will take them to. So, we are not involved in diversion. If they want to check diversion, they should look for the owner of the products.

“As PTD NUPENG, we are law-abiding citizens of this country and we don’t support any illegality. If anybody goes to pipelines or join in stealing products from vandalised points, you are on your own.”