Fuel Scarcity Looms As NUPENG Threatens Strike Monday 

• Laments deaths on Nigerian roads

The National Union of Petroleum and Natural Gas Workers (NUPENG) says its Petroleum Tanker Drivers (PTD) will commence strike on Monday over the deplorable state of the nation’s highways and other related issues.

It said having lost many lives and properties due to bad roads, all tanker drivers from the Union will be withdrawing their services nationwide to protest this deplorable state of affairs.

Speaking with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Lagos, the South-west Zonal Chairman of NUPENG, Comrade Tayo Aboyeji, said; “This is not the first time that we will signify our intention to go on strike but we have to call it off because it will generally affect the majority of Nigerians but now our hands are tied.

“We are going on nationwide strike because of the deplorable and shameful state of our highways.

“When a truck loads petrol in Lagos, the drivers spend five to six days to get to Abuja because of the shameful state of the roads.”

Comrade Tayo Aboyeji lamented that; “All calls by the executive of petroleum unions have fallen on the deaf ears of the government as the highways continue to deteriorate nationwide.

“The list of the highways are endless and the tanker drivers have been going through the harrowing situation while rendering selfless national service.

“The increase(d) rate of fire incidences involving petroleum tankers with accompanying massive destruction of lives and properties of our members and the general public is enough.

“This is because of government failure to enforce installation of safety gadgets on tankers. This will protect the inflammation contents of their trucks from spilling over in a situation of a road accident.”

The Union leader further said; “We see the failure of the government in this regard as the height of insensitivity to lives of innocent Nigerians and the Union cannot continue to hold its hands while our members are getting burnt everywhere and every day.”

Also expressing the Union unhappiness with the unscrupulous abuse of tonnage, Comrade Aboyeji noted that; “There are some trucks that carry 60,000 litres to 100,000 litres on the highway.”

According to the Zonal Chairman; “This load has a negative effect and impact on the safety and control of drivers on the wheel as well as durability and sustainability of the highway”, adding; “The unions do not want any truck to carry more than the approved capacity.”

Mr Aboyeji said the union had given notice to the government “to put all these in order to avert the nationwide strike on Monday.”

“We know that the present administration would not do anything until we start the nationwide strike,” he said. – With NAN reports