- Saturday, May 4, 2024
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To resolve the prolonged leadership
crisis within the Petroleum Tanker
Drivers (PTD) branch of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers
(NUPENG), the drivers should operate independent of NUPENG, a concerned member
of one of the factions has advised.
Comrade Babalola Bolaji said if the advice is followed, it will prevent disruptions in the organisation.
He said: "If they don't want
this crisis to linger, NUPENG should steer clear , let them oversee others. If
that is the way they have been taking offices from others, how many offices
will they take?
The crisis has crippled
operations for seven months.
In an exclusive interview with
The Nation, Bolaji blamed an official of NUPENG
and external interference as
being mastermind of the
crisis within PTD.
Bolaji alleged that the crisis began with a NUPENG official, who is acting as an overlord rather than an
advisor to the PTD.
He also accused another NUPENG
member, of introducing a colleague into
the PTD with the intention of turning it into a "one-man business" controlled
by their ethnic group.
Bolaji claimed that NUPENG, with
its over 40 branches, has no legitimate interest in the PTD and it’s only
motivated by "selfishness and greed."
He argued that the NUPENG official was attempting to impose its own people on
the PTD without following proper procedures.
He said: "The dispute in PTD
of NUPENG started from within with one
man assuming the role of an overall boss and not as an
employee. As an employee, he must take instruction from the employer.
Bolaji expressed concerns about NUPENG's
interference, suggesting that a legal intervention might be necessary to
restore order. He emphasized the need for NUPENG to withdraw its influence and
allow PTDS to manage its affairs independently.
Bolaji lamented what he
called the impact of the crisis on PTDS operations,
citing a lack of freedom and respect for due process. He highlighted the
debilitating effects on tanker drivers, with vehicle operations and filling
stations disrupted for over seven months due to the crisis.
"The lingering crisis has
affected PTD because they don’t have
freedom anymore. You can imagine people
coming in and beginning to remove people without any offence. There is no labour law that says you can remove any worker
without any crisis but they've interpreted it their own way. They don't even have any respect for the
laws or court.’’
Bolaji believes it is only court litigation that can
resolve the crisis.
"It is the judiciary that
can help us out. We don’t even enjoy our work since NUPENG took over PTD.
NUPENG has about 40 branches but they ‘sat on PTD’. There is a cabal causing
this crisis and they are known. We are law-abiding tanker drivers and we
observe all the rules. They have continued to disobey court orders. The court
ordered that the status quo ante should be allowed to remain and nobody should
be removed from the office. But, they ignored it.
"They have stopped all our
vehicles from working. Our fillings
stations have not been working for over seven months. They are doing this
because they feel they have money. We don’t have money but we must stick to the
rule of law," he said.
Bolaji said despite appeals to various
government bodies, including the National Labour Congress (NLC), Department of
State Services (DSS), Inspector-General of Police (IGP), and Ministry of
Labour, nothing has been done.
He expressed frustration over the
delay in addressing the crisis.
Bolaji criticized the police's
handling of the crisis, alleging unjust treatment and improper investigations
leading to unwarranted arrests and incarcerations.
He called for justice and urged
prayers for a resolution to the crisis.
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