***Tasks IGP on Excesses of Task Force Team
The Petroleum Tanker Drivers Branch (PTD) of the Nigeria Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) has lauded the Federal Government’s renewed commitment to ensuring motorable federal highways across the country and the steps taken to stabilize the supply of petroleum products.
In a communique released after its National Executive Committee (NEC) meeting in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, over the weekend, PTD-NUPENG commended the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for the approval of 13 road rehabilitation projects.
These include the Enugu-Port Harcourt, Ore-Ondo-Akure, Benin-Akure-Ilesha, Aba-Owerri, and Mubi-Maiduguri roads, among others.
The communique which was signed by
National Chairman, Comrades Augustine Egbon, and National Secretary, Oluchi Chinagorom, emphasized that these rehabilitations will enhance safety for members on the highways and ensure uninterrupted supply of petroleum products.
The Union lamented that previous administrations had ignored their demands for better road infrastructure, which led to accidents, loss of lives, and damaged vehicles.
The Union also urged the government to prioritize the rehabilitation of the Calabar-Itu Federal Highway, highlighting its poor condition as a major hindrance to petroleum tanker movement.
Additionally, PTD-NUPENG acknowledged the government’s efforts in stabilizing the supply of petroleum products and called for further action to revive the nation’s four refineries.
However, the Union expressed concerns about the high-handedness of the Inspector General of Police’s (IGP) Task Force aimed at preventing the movement of adulterated petroleum products.
They accused the Task Force of impounding tankers indiscriminately and urged the IGP to intervene, citing a specific case where a tanker on the Funtua-Kaduna road had been wrongfully detained for two months.
The NEC passed a vote of confidence in its national officers, commending their efforts to secure decent living wages for members and promote training for truck drivers.
The meeting was attended by prominent figures including NUPENG National President Comrade Williams Akporeha, representatives from the Rivers State DSS, the Police, and other stakeholders from the oil and gas sector.